A Wish
by Silvie of Southern
Summary: It all started with a wish on a lonely night. But I didn't realize just what I was getting myself into...TidusxYuna, and a bit of one-sided OCxTidus. I HAVE SCHOOL BUT I'M STILL TRYING. R&R and join me on the quest to Zanarkand! MAJORGAMESPOILERCONTENTFYI
1. Chapter 1

_**Chapter One**_

"No!! You are grounded until further notice from everything!"

"But Katie, please!" I begged, although I knew it was useless. My life would end. I would go nowhere, see no one, and have nothing electronic to comfort me. My games, my music... the two things that could bring me out of the eternal misery that seemed to follow me everywhere.

"You're a liar! Go to your room!" Katie yelled. I hated her. She had taken me in when I was young, after my father left me and my mother. My real mother was dead. She had died not too long after Dad left. Katie was one of her friends. I couldn't see why my mother had left me in her care. Katie was the devil.

I turned and ran into the small room that I called mine, and sat on my bed. I pulled my knees to my chest, trying not to cry. It had been three months since I had shed one tear. I had promised myself to never cry again. I would not break that promise now.

I closed my eyes and took a deep breath. I opened them again and looked at my watch. It was 11:11. Time to make a wish. I had heard from someone that if you made a wish at 11:11 and did not look at any clocks until 11:12, that your wish would come true.

"I wish that I can disappear into another reality, and never come back." I whispered, and closed my eyes. I counted to sixty in my head, and then I opened my eyes and looked at my watch. It was 11:12. I sighed. Who would wish on a clock, anyway? I knew my wish wouldn't come true. It was a silly wish.

What I didn't know, however, was that I was wrong.

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_Yay, my first chapter! Please review! It was short but the rest will be longer, I swear. :)_


	2. Chapter 2

**_Chapter Two_**

****I lay on my bed, staring at the ceiling. It was true. I was a liar. Not a day went by when I didn't tell one lie or another. I hated it. I was a good liar, but I didn't want to be. I wanted to be able to tell the truth, and know that someone would not judge me for it. That day would never come.

I heard the plodding of my cat's feet, walking into my room and sitting on the wood floor. I glanced over at him. He gave me a lazy look, and then he began to clean his paw. I turned away.

"Why can't I be like you, with nothing to do but eat and sleep?" I asked.

"Because you have a bigger purpose."

I jumped up, startled. Had my cat just spoken to me? I looked at him, only he wasn't there. A small child in a blue hood stood there instead, slightly transparent. I recognized this being as the fayth from my videogame.

I closed my eyes tight, and opened them again. My cat looked up at me, and then he began to clean his face.

"I'm going crazy." I muttered. My heart was beating a hundred miles an hour. My hands trembled. I reached up and wiped my bangs from my face. "This is insane. You didn't see him, did you, Meow Meow?" I asked the cat.

He looked up at me with an annoyed expression, as if to say, 'You would interrupt my bath with a stupid question like that?'

I crossed my arms. "Yeah, you're right. I'm just a little shaken. Maybe I played that game too long this morning."

He stood and twitched his tail, looking at the empty spot on my pillow. "Mrrow?" He seemed to be asking if it was alright with me if he sat on my bed. Without even waiting for my reply, he leapt gracefully onto my pillow, and began to purr. I stroked the soft fur on his back.

Then I lay down with my head next to his, and closed my eyes, just listening to his purr. I reached up and turned off my lamp.

I relaxed for a few moments, trying to forget that I was still grounded. Bright light flooded the room. _Great,_ I thought. _Here comes Miss Sunshine._ I opened my eyes. The light seemed brighter than I remembered. It was blinding. I covered my eyes with my hand, and sat up. Everything was white. I couldn't even see. I stood up, trying to make out any object.

"Katie? Can you turn that off, it's blinding me!" I said. Instead of the usual sour remark, there was silence. She still hadn't turned off the light. I stepped forward, toward the direction I thought was the light switch. I reached out for the wall. There was nothing.

I tripped over my own feet and fell forward. There was no ground to catch me. I screamed. _Wake up, it's a bad dream!!_ I told myself. But my scream sounded so real... in my usual nightmares, my scream sounds echoed, and quiet, and I feel like I can't scream at all.

But this had to be a nightmare. I reached out, trying to grab onto something. I didn't feel like I was falling. I looked down. My watch was still on my wrist. It read 12:00. The watch had stopped. The seconds said 00. They didn't change. I squinted and looked around. Nothing but white.

"It begins." A voice said. I knew that voice... It was the fayth that had spoken to Tidus, at the beginning of the game. "Don't cry."

I tried to find the source of the voice. That had to be it! I had fallen asleep while playing my game. I must've started a new game... somehow.

_Wake up._ I told myself. It was still white. I was floating. I looked about, almost expecting something to appear. Suddenly, I was falling. I cried out.

Water hit me hard in the face. I squinted my eyes shut. I was underwater. It was another one of these creepy drowning dreams. I hated those.

I opened my eyes and looked around. The water was so clear. I wasn't in a pool. I was in a lake, or the ocean. I opened my mouth. The water was salty. It was so real...

I swam forward, not knowing which way was up. The water was so dark. A ray of light shone through, from far above me. Could I swim that far up before I ran out of air? I kicked frantically for the surface. My lungs began to ache. I knew that unless I reached the air, I would act impulsively and suck in the water. That wouldn't be good.

But this was a dream. I wasn't really underwater. I was asleep, on the couch, holding my game controller. Or else I was in bed, sleeping off my grounding time.

I was almost to the surface. My eyes hurt. I was growing tired. Just a few more feet... I breathed out. Bubbles floated to the surface, with me chasing them. I couldn't stop the impulse to gasp for air...

I coughed. I was breathing. But I was still underwater... this was usually when I woke up. I took a deep breath. It didn't seem like air... It seemed thicker. I could feel the water passing through my mouth, over my tongue. It was salty, like the ocean. I kicked to the surface and breathed out, coughing. Water spilled from my mouth.

I had been breathing the water? And I hadn't drowned... what a strange dream.

I felt so tired from trying to get to the surface. I looked around. There were clouds overhead. There was no land in sight.

I heard something moving in the water behind me. I turned around, and screamed. A huge wave rose above me, and the water crashed down. I was pulled under, but I resurfaced. The water rolled violently. I was pulled under again.

A huge creature lurked beneath me. A hideous creature I recognized from my game.

A creature called Sin.

I froze in terror. How could this be happening? _Wake up! Wake up! It's a bad dream! Wake up!_ I told myself.

I turned and swam as fast as I could away from Sin. Any second I would wake up. Katie would be telling me to stop screaming, or my cat would be purring next to me. Then, it happened. A whirlpool started up right under me. I was whipped about in every direction. Everything was blurry. I opened my mouth and screamed.

My scream was lost in the water. The last thing I saw was Sin, swimming toward me. Then I blacked out.

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_See, told you it'd be longer! XD reviews, please!_


	3. Chapter 3

_**Chapter Three  
**_

I took a deep breath and slowly opened my eyes. It was bright. It was morning. I was lying in bed, and the sunlight was waking me through my curtains.

If you believed that, then you had better read the previous chapter.

I opened my eyes, and instead of my white ceiling, I saw green seaweed, swaying in the current. I jerked my head up from the water. I could feel the ground beneath my feet. I waded from the ocean. _How on Earth..._ I thought. Then I realized...

This was Besaid.

I stepped onto the dry sand. My clothes were soaking wet. I walked out and looked around. Yep, this was _definitely_ Besaid.

I walked toward the trail, and hesitated. If there were any fiends, I would have to run. I had no weapon. I walked up the trail and looked around nervously. This was a dream, and I would wake up soon. I had to keep telling myself that. Everything looked so real, not like it had during game play, but when those special cut-scenes arose with the awesome graphics. It almost looked better than that. I touched a leaf on a bush. It felt real.

I kept walking, under the waterfall. Then I reached the small bridge. I looked down, where there should've been a save sphere. It wasn't there, but the treasure chest was. So, no save spheres. Great.

I kept walking. There was a growl behind me.

I turned to find a wolf there, with brown fur, snarling at me. I remembered what Tidus sometimes said before fleeing from a fight. "Live and let live!" I cried, turning and running as fast as I could. The wolf pursued me for a distance, and then it decided I wasn't worth the effort and walked off.

I stopped running, slightly winded, and walked on down the trail. Besaid Village was in sight. I heard a screech, and looked up. A huge bird flew down at me. I ducked and put my arms up over my head. I felt its claws graze my arms.

I looked up. The bird doubled back and flew at me again.

I ran toward the village. "Help!" I cried.

A familiar figure ran past me. I didn't bother to notice who it was. I ran all the way to the front steps of the temple and grabbed the pole for balance. I looked back to see two crusaders and a man with a funky hairdo fighting the creature. In a few seconds, the beast burst into pyreflies.

I sat down on the steps. Something stung my arm. I looked down. Where the bird's claws had grazed me, there were small cuts on my forearms. I touched one of the cuts. A small, smeared spot of blood was on my finger.

"Ow." I said softly. It felt real. Then a thought crossed my mind. What if my wish had come true? What if I had really vanished into another world?

The guy I'd seen a few seconds ago walked up to me.

"Hey, you okay?"

I looked up and nodded. _Wakka?_

"That was close, ya?"

I nodded again. It was definitely Wakka. No one could forget his red hair that stuck a foot in the air in the front. The back of his hair was short. He was carrying his blitzball.

"Wakka! What's the meaning of this?"

I looked at the source of the voice. It was Lulu. The people looked even better than the realistic graphics of the game. They looked real.

Yuna walked out of a tent and hurried to her two guardians.

"Yuna, you should be getting ready." Lulu said. "I need to talk to Wakka."

I stared in shock at Yuna. She glanced at me with her blue and green eyes, and gasped. "Are you okay?" she asked.

I nodded. Words seemed to fail me. I didn't know what to say. "I-I'll be fine..." It was the only thing I could think of instead of nodding like an idiot.

"Wakka, what was all that commotion?" Lulu asked.

"This girl came running into the village. She was being chased by a fiend! I killed the fiend, ya?" He said.

Lulu glanced at me with her dark, reddish brown eyes. She could frighten anyone with only a glance. Especially me.

"Be more careful." She snapped at me, and then she followed Yuna back into the tent.

"Sheesh! She's got a short temper. Better watch out, ya? I never seen you here before. You're new, huh?"

"Um... yeah..." I said nervously, scrambling for a good story.

"Ever been to Besaid before?"

"Yes... I mean no! Well... I've seen Besaid before... on... a... sphere. A, uh, movie sphere!" I said.

"Ah... So, how'd you end up here?"

"Um... I don't remember."

"Huh?"

"I, er... um... I think it had something to do with Sin. I, uh, got too close to Sin's toxin..." I said.

"Oh... well, you'll feel better soon enough, ya? How old are you?"

"Fou... uh... sixteen!" I lied. "I... turned sixteen not too long ago, and uh, I'm still getting used to saying sixteen instead of fifteen..."

"Oh, I see. You look younger. Sixteen year olds usually have more muscle, ya?"

"Well, I've never really fought a fiend before... I don't think. My... parents were quieter, and... we didn't have to do much."

"Where are your parents?" Wakka asked.

"They're dead..." I said softly, looking down.

"Oh, I'm sorry! I didn't know, ya?"

"It's alright. I don't remember much about them. They died a long time ago."

"Oh... ya got anyone else takin' care of you?"

"No. I mean... well my mom's friend was taking care of me for a while, but... then Sin attacked. We were... on a boat. Um... I'm not sure if anyone else survived. I was too close to the edge, and I fell overboard. I don't remember much else."

"Hmm... well, why don't you stay with us for a while? We're heading for Luca for the big Blitzball tournament! You can come, ya? You might see someone you know!"

"I've been to Luca!" I blurted stupidly. "At least, I think so. It sounds really familiar. I can't remember where I'm from."

"Man, I hate this! Sin's gotta ruin everything!"

"It's not so bad. I'll remember. I hope." I looked up. Yuna and Lulu walked out of the tent. Kimahri Ronso followed.

I jumped up and walked over to them. "Hi! I'm Lyssa. Sorry about earlier. I didn't mean to cause trouble." I said.

"Well, no one was hurt!" Yuna said.

"We're going to the temple. She's going to become a Summoner." Lulu said.

"I know. Uh... news travels fast." I said, mentally kicking myself. "Good luck!" I stood watching them as they walked through the doors.

Wakka came and stood by me.

"Aren't you going with them?" I asked.

"No... Lulu can handle it, ya? She told me to wait here."

"Yuna's brave." I said.

Wakka gave me a strange look. "How'd you know her name?"

"Uh... Lulu said, 'Yuna, you should get ready', or something close to that. I just assumed that she was Yuna, since she was the only one there. Um... who's the Ronso?"

"Kimahri Ronso. Yuna's guardian. We don't know a whole lot about him. He's not the talkative type, ya?" Wakka said.

"Oh." I knew my stupid act would wear off sooner or later, or else I would forget and say something dumb. I had to keep reminding myself not to give myself away.

"Well, I hope this goes well... At the same time, I'm kinda wishing Yuna will change her mind. I wish she didn't have to be a summoner!"

"Because she'll die..." I said quietly. I didn't let on that I knew she would be back. "Hey, what do you have to eat around here?"

"Lunch is just about ready. I'll get some extra for you, ya?" He said. I followed him into the tent. He looked around suddenly. No one else was there. "You remember the prayer, right?" He asked.

"Of course!" I said. I had never actually done the prayer, but I had watched them do it several times. I did my best at imitating them.

"Phew! Okay, you're not too bad. The toxin's wearing off, huh?" Wakka asked.

"Yeah, I guess." I said.

A man I recognized as Botta walked in. "Hey, what's for lunch, ya?" He asked.

Wakka looked at him. "Today was your turn to cook!" He said.

"Not mine! Letty's supposed to do it, ya?" Botta replied.

I sat on the ground and watched them.

Wakka looked at me. "Hey, you wait here, ya? We'll figure out something." He and Botta left the tent.

I took a deep breath. I was trying to come to terms with the fact that I was now stuck inside of my video game. Maybe I would go back around the same time Tidus did at the end. But I might ruin it all... the end was my favorite part.

If I disappeared the same time that Tidus did, I might ruin it all by drawing attention from him to me, therefore destroying the wonderful ending.

Maybe I would go when Auron did. That would be better. Auron didn't need all the attention Tidus and Yuna did.

Then again, maybe I wouldn't leave. Maybe I was stuck here for good. Perhaps I would be in the sequel, and then I would find out what happened. I looked at my watch.

It had moved seven seconds. It said 12:00:07. I took it off and shook it. Nothing happened. I whacked it a couple of times, but it still said the same thing. I tried to reset the time. The menu changed, but the buttons wouldn't let me set the time. I tried the stop watch. The normal seconds weren't working. I watched it for a few seconds. Nothing happened.

I didn't have the time or patience to think about that. All I knew was that my watch was running incredibly slow.

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_Third chapter is up! There's a little button below this that says '_Review this Story/Chapter_' No personal info required. Even if it's just to say, 'hey, nice story!' or 'hi' or 'dude your story sucks' (in which case I'd have to tell you off for calling me dude) please say something and let me know I have at least one person reading!  
_


	4. Chapter 4

_**Chapter Four**_

I looked around. Tidus would be arriving the next day. I had one day to figure things out before going on the journey. I needed a weapon. For the life of me, I couldn't remember if there was a place to buy things in Besaid, and where that place was.

I walked out onto the street. Places are far more different in real life than on a screen, assuming this _was_ real life... I remembered Wakka telling me to stay in the tent. I didn't care. He had no right to tell me what to do. I walked into a tent with several beds. There should've been a save sphere at the end. There wasn't.

"Can I help you?" The woman at the front asked.

"Um... do you know where I can find some... um, items, or, weapons, and such?" I asked.

"Why, yes. Go to the next tent over and talk to the girls there."

I left and walked to the next tent, like she'd said. A little girl who looked about ten was there.

"Hi! Do you wanna buy somethin'?" She asked.

"Yes. Do you have a... list or something of your weapons?" I asked.

"Of course! Here's a list of what we have in stock." She handed me a piece of paper with a list of names on it.

I looked at the price. I didn't remember having any gil, which meant I most likely didn't. I sighed, staring at the description and picture of a cool sword.

"Nevermind... I haven't got enough gil." I said, handing the paper back to her. "I'll, um, come back later, maybe." I said, leaving.

"I thought I told you to stay in the tent!" I turned to see Wakka staring back at me.

"I wanted to look around. Who made you my boss?" I asked.

"Wha...?"

"Nevermind. Is there any food?" I asked.

"Yep. Keepa cooked some food... but watch out. He's great at blitzball, but when it comes to cooking, he's not the best, ya?"

"Oh, I see." I said. I followed him back to the tent, where five Aurochs sat in a circle, each holding a plate and eating a pile of brown and green muck.

Wakka grabbed two plates and handed me one. Keepa sat proudly, enjoying the muck he thought would pass as food.

I sat down and took a bit. To be polite, I swallowed. It tasted worse than anything I'd ever tasted. It was like a mixture of horse crap and spinach. It looked like it, too.

"C-can I have some water?" I asked weakly. I felt like I would puke.

Wakka got up and grabbed a canteen. He handed it to me. I chugged half of it before I realized that it wasn't water. It was room temperature, creamy, and white.

"What is this?" I asked.

They all looked at me like I'd just popped out of the mattress sprouting green skin and antennae and asked if they would assist me to the mother ship. "What!" I snapped.

"You've never had Chocobo milk before?" Wakka asked.

I shook my head. "I didn't know Chocobos had milk." I said.

"Dude, what's _wrong_ with her, ya?" Datto asked.

"She's been near Sin." Wakka replied.

I bit my lip rather than strangle Datto, like I wanted to.

Jassu glanced at me, and then he leaned to the side, toward Datto. "She's weird, ya?"

"What kinda outcast excluded place did she come from that she don't know about Chocobo milk?" Datto asked.

"I can still hear you, ya know!!" I yelled, one second and two feet from murdering them both.

"Ya, guys! Don't be rude to our guest!" Wakka said.

I glared down at the brown and green muck on my plate. It smelled like a public bathroom. I braved another bite. As hard as I tried to swallow, I couldn't without feeling like I was going to puke. I leapt up, ran outside and behind the tent, and spit it out on the ground. I grabbed a few blades of grass and put them in my mouth.

The sour grass tasted like an angel's cooking compared to the crap Keepa had made. I didn't want to be ungrateful, but there are some people who should be outlawed from ever going _near_ a kitchen.

Keepa was one of those people.

I spit out the grass, along with the remains of the muck from my mouth. I opted for going to the temple instead.

I walked inside to hear the Hymn of the Fayth. The tall statue of Lord Braska was near the stairway to the cloister of trials.

I sat down on the bottom of the stairs. Yuna wouldn't be coming out until the next day. I looked toward the door.

The fayth stood before me.

"Hey!" I shouted. "Don't you dare leave me here without an explanation!"

"What is there to explain?" The fayth asked.

"Why am I here? How did I get here? When am I going home!?" I yelled.

"You wished to come into another reality. The fayth took you here. You will return when your mission is completed."

"What mission?"

"You'll see."

"How am I supposed to complete a mission I know nothing about!?"

The fayth vanished.

"Hey, don't you disappear, what's wrong with you!? Tell me what's going on!" I cried.

The few people in the temple looked at me like I was crazy.

I had no explanation to my sudden outburst. No one would believe that the fayth had stopped time to talk to me. Nor would they believe that I was talking back. I chose my other option; live and let live. I stood up and bolted out of the temple as fast as my legs could carry me.

I had lost my appetite for food. I just wanted to go home, even if it meant facing Katie again. I sat on the steps outside the temple for a few seconds. I was still tired. Maybe if I went to sleep, I would wake up at home. I walked into the Crusader's tent. Luzzu and Gatta were arguing about something. I really didn't care.

"Can I help you?" The lady at the front desk asked.

"Do you mind if I rest here a while?" I asked.

"No problem! The Crusader's tent is open for all who wish to rest." She said with a smile.

I walked to one of the beds in the far corner and plopped on top of the blankets. I didn't care if I was still clothed or not. I wanted to go home.

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_Fourth chapter up! Congrats to _Xaila'n'Eli_ for being the first reviewer! (gives a cookie) And thanks to everyone who reviewed. I really appreciate it! Next chapter will be up soon._


	5. Chapter 5

_**Chapter Five**_

I began to wake up. I could hear the sounds around me. I didn't want to open my eyes just yet.

"Let her sleep. Poor dear, she's been like that all night. She's exhausted."

I slept for a whole day!?

"Aw, she's gonna miss us playin' blitzball. Tell her not to leave when she wakes up, kay? Me 'n the Aurochs are goin' down to the beach to blitz!" Oh great. It was Wakka. I squinted and looked out toward the door. Sure enough, the redhead stood there, talking to the clerk lady. I sat up just as he left. The lady was organizing some papers. I got up slowly and edged to the wall. I flattened myself. She turned toward the door.

Some kid outside was yelling for her mom. The lady walked out and disappeared from sight.

I took the opportunity and ran out after Wakka. I wanted to see the dumb look on his face when Tidus nearly nailed him with the blitzball!

I followed at a safe distance, not too close, but not too far in case of fiends. I rounded the corner to the beach and watched them horse around for several moments. I looked at my watch. It said 12:01:06. Time doesn't exactly fly in Spira.

"Hey!" Wakka yelled. That was my cue.

I got closer and watched. Sure enough, the blitzball came hurdling back at Wakka a hundred miles an hour. He ducked. Then came that look. I clapped my hand over my mouth to keep from laughing. Tidus swam up to the shore.

I decided to ditch while I had a chance, and I bolted up the trail a few feet. I waited for several minutes. I checked my watch. 12:01:06. Of course. Finally, there were footsteps.

I watched them pass the trail, toward the cliff.

This I had to see. I walked up behind Wakka, just as he shoved Tidus off the cliff and into the water.

"Hey! What's the big idea?" Tidus called.

I ran up behind Wakka and shoved him into the water. "Ha!" I said triumphantly.

Wakka resurfaced and stared up in shock. "Hey, no fair, ya?"

"How do _you_ like it?" I asked.

Tidus was already swimming away.

"Ah, I was gonna jump in anyway..." Wakka said, and he swam after Tidus.

I turned and headed up the trail with a smirk. Two more hours, and the adventure would finally start. Until then, I would figure out what the hell was on top of those ruins in Besaid. I could spot two save spheres on the map while playing the game, and also a treasure chest.

I reached that area. It was also where Kimahri decided to beat the crap out of Tidus for no real reason. I tried to climb up, but I slipped and landed on my rear. I looked around for another way. There wasn't one. Crossing my arms, I stomped up to the hill. Determined, I hauled myself up onto the ruins.

I carefully made my way to the treasure chest and opened it. There was some sort of sword inside. I shrugged. Now, for the other spot... I climbed up a little higher. I spotted another treasure chest. I reached for the edge...

_SNAP!_

The vine I was holding for balance broke, sending me ten feet through the air and an inch into the mud.

I glared at the structure.

"FINE!" I shouted. I gave it a good, hard kick, and then I went back to the beach, trying to ignore the painful throbbing in my right foot. The Aurochs were still there. Datto had gone to find the ball, lucky for him. Unlucky for me, as I couldn't wallop the tart out of him.

Keepa gave me a look like he was going to eat me. I returned the look. He turned away when Letty tapped him on the shoulder. I loved Letty... no, not like that. He was always one of the three most important blitzers for my evil attack plan while playing the game. Unfortunately, Datto was included in those three...

I ran to the ocean and dove in. Such cool, refreshing water...

I dove to the bottom before taking a breath. I could still breathe it. It was amazing. The water was so clear. I swam around for a while, looking at all the funny little fish in the water. I glanced at my watch. It said 12:01:08. _Wow, it's been two seconds._ I thought wryly.

I resurfaced. The shore seemed miles away. Everything was so tiny... I'd gone that far out? I swam toward the shore. Something splashed way behind me. I turned around. Miles away, a huge creature showed itself in the water.

Sin.

As I swam toward the shore, I kept telling myself that it wouldn't come near. It was waiting for the boat to Kilika. The same boat that... I was going on the next day.

_Wait... how much time has gone by? _As soon as I finished the thought, I scrambled out of the water and ran back toward the village. A brown wolf growled behind me. I ignored the pesky thing and kept running.

I didn't stop running until I reached the temple. I opened the door just in time to see the back of Tidus before the door to the Cloister of Trials slammed shut.

I bolted up the stairs after him.

"Stop!" The priest cried.

"Make me, you old fart!" I snapped, hurrying through the door. I shut it behind me, and sighed. Then I followed the open path that lead to the Chamber of the Fayth. A few seconds sure went a long way with that guy. He'd gone through the trials like a lightning bolt. The door opened behind me. I jumped, and then started running.

Wakka grabbed the back of my shirt before I'd gone two steps. "Hey, where do you think you're going?" He asked.

"After him! I have to see the... I mean... He went in, and I was gonna stop him!" I stopped myself from blurting, 'the stupid look on his face when Yuna comes out of the Chamber of the Fayth,' and covered it up with a lie.

"I'm the only one who's gonna be stopping him, ya?" Wakka said. "And I owe you a dunk in the water!"

I cringed. Wakka threw open the door and shoved me out, and then he closed it behind him and went after Tidus.

The priest stood glaring at me. I stuck my tongue out at him, and then I followed Wakka. No stupid old guy who worshiped some dead dude was going to keep me from seeing that look. It was priceless.

I stepped through the last door and stopped short. _Wow, he's hot..._ the thought crossed my mind before I could kick it away. I had never thought of Tidus as anything more than a fictional character from a game. But now he stood there, right in front of me, staring dumbly at the summoner.

I stopped myself from laughing at his expression. _Ha, I can't like him, he likes Yuna!_ I teased myself. I had always been a sucker for blue eyes. And I always will be. Especially paired with a six-pack and sandy-blond hair...

Moving on.

"I have done it. I have... become a summoner." Yuna said softly.

I smiled. Right on cue. Lulu glanced at me. I swear her eyes turn blood-red when she's mad! As they did right then... I grinned stupidly and fled, leaving Tidus to deal with Lulu's wrath.

I hurried down the stairs. One of those stupid monks grabbed me by the collar and stopped me from leaving.

"Listen here, you heathen!" He said in my face. His breath smelled like farts.

I held my breath and made a sour face.

"No one disrespects the priest like that!"

I pushed him a few feet away, forcing his bony fingers to let go of my shirt. "Well, _he_ worships some _dead_ _rotting_ _leech_ that _possesses_ aeons and is _more_ _annoying_ than _Sin_ _itself_! And _you_ certainly _are_ an old fart! Have you _smelled_ your _breath_ lately!?" The words had escaped before I could stop myself. Might as well finish my death sentence... "And that _stupid_ hymn isn't comforting, it's _frickin_' _creepy_! And your _useless_ faith in that final aeon is _retarted_! And your _stupid_ religion will _rot_ before the end of the month! And your _rotten_ maesters are all _unsent_ _morons_ and _I HATE SEYMOUR_!!" I bellowed as loud as I could. I suddenly realized what I'd just done.

The monk stood staring at me with his mouth open. He looked like he wanted to kill me and hide from me at the same time.

An older woman who had been praying passed out on the floor.

Wakka opened the door just then. I looked up in shock. _Oh, shiitake..._ I bolted out of the temple for the second time that day. I had this feeling that no one would care about Tidus after what I'd just done. I had officially signed the paper giving them the right to kill me.

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_And that... is chapter five. Thanks for the reviews! you keep reviewing, I keep writing. You stop reviewing, I stop writing. Kay? :) Just one review and I'll continue.  
_


	6. Chapter 6

_**Chapter Six**_

I stormed into the tent and plopped onto the bed. I wanted to slap something. I took a deep breath and exhaled angrily.

"Hey, what happened, ya? The monks are all worked up about something!" Wakka said.

"I hate Yevon." I snapped.

"What!?"

"_I HATE YEVON_!!" I yelled.

"Don't say that!" Wakka said.

"Well, I do!"

"Hey, come on! Yuna's gonna do the summoning, ya! Let's go watch, and hey, if you never bring this up again, I might forget you said it, ya?"

I glared down at the ground, burning an invisible hole in the floor. "Fine." I said reluctantly. I got up and followed him outside. I stood there on the opposite side of the circle of the guardians and watched Yuna.

Wakka went up behind Tidus and grabbed him in a headlock. I paid no attention.

A few moments later, Yuna performed the summoning. It was so much more awesome being there than watching some tv screen. For one, there were no bad graphics. It was real.

Valefore was so much bigger than in the game. Nearly twice the size.

The aeon swooped down and landed gracefully for its size. Yuna reached up and stroked its face. As there was no danger and no reason to fight, the aeon retreated back into the sky.

"Wow... that was awesome." Some kid said from beside me. I looked over.

"Wait until you see Bahamut." I said.

"See who?"

"Nevermind." I said.

"That was cool, ya?" Wakka said.

"Yeah, sure." I replied.

"Don't be saying bad stuff about Yevon. If it weren't for him, we wouldn't be here!"

"Niether would Sin." I shot back.

"What?"

I had some serious self control updates just then. If I hadn't, I probably would've been executed or banished or punished in some awful way. Instead of telling him off, I kept my mouth shut.

"What was that you just said?" Wakka asked.

"Nothing. I... I'm feeling tired. I need some fresh air." Fresh air? That was the best I could come up with? I was already outside. How much more fresh could the air get?

"Ah, it must be Sin's toxin."

"Yeah, my brain's feeling foggy..." I closed my eyes and put my hand on my head, pretending to be sick. No one could fall for that.

"Here, why don't you take a nap, ya?" I could be wrong...

"Uhg... I don't feel so good..." I stumbled along toward the Crusaders 'lodge', which didn't look like a lodge at all.

"I hope she's gonna be alright." Wakka said to Lulu. How he could fall for that, I don't know. But he did. I collapsed onto the bed, not tired at all, but bored beyond belief. And now I would have to take a nap. I stared at my watch, willing it to move... to work normally. Anything. 12:01:08. Still the same thing. I sighed, watching it.

Suddenly, it changed. !2:01:09. I stared at it in disbelief. "...the heck?" It had moved one second. Then, I had a hunch. Not a very good one, but one that made a little sense... I had been here for one day. The minute hand said one. I arrived at midnight, and it was about nine now. The seconds said nine. So maybe, every second that moved was one hour in Spira's time, and every minute was a day. But then... there are sixty seconds in a minute, and only twenty four hours in a day. That certainly made no sense. I sighed.

There was still nothing to do. I looked outside. Everyone was celebrating. I had an idea... a wonderful, brilliant, terrifying idea...

I got up quietly, taking the sheet with me, and snuck to the back of the tent. I reached into my pocket, hoping that my favorite little gadget was still there, and felt my pocket knife. It was a very small, inexpensive one. Only two and a quarter inches long. Yes, I measured it. With the blade out, it's three and seven eighths inches long. It may be small, but it's extremely sharp. I cut the ropes that held the back of the tent together, and slipped out of the hole I'd made.

Now I needed a tall place to hide and some sturdy, lightweight sticks. I wondered how much trouble I'd be in if I got caught... Several moments and half-a-tree later, it was ready. I snuck around the back of the temple, and carefully climbed up a tree near it. Then I climbed onto the roof, taking my little device with me.

I crawled to the edge, looking around to make sure I wasn't seen. They were all laughing and running around, and having fun... all without me. That would soon change... I steadied my huge white bed sheet of terror.

"Hooo." I cried.

A few kids stopped running in circles and looked around.

"HOOO!!" I screamed louder, trying to sound like a ghost.

Several people quieted down, looking about anxiously.

All at once, I screamed my most terrifying scream and hurled the sheet down from the temple.

The people scattered like... well, people.

"FIEND!!" The word was screamed by several, and everyone scattered. I was trying so hard not to laugh... I scrambled off the roof. Unfortunately, I missed the tree by several feet and plummeted to the ground. At least I was screaming like everyone else...

I got up and ran back into the secret door I'd made. Then I came out the front, trying my best to look surprised.

"AUHG!! IT'S GOT ME!!" I looked over to see Tidus, wrapped in my sheet with the sticks poking out. He was running around like a chicken with its head cut off. "HELP!!" The more he struggled, the more tangled up he got.

I couldn't take it any more. I burst out laughing. I could barely even gasp for air.

He ripped off the sheet and unsheathed his sword. Then he began whacking the sheet randomly, trying to kill the 'fiend'.

Unfortunately for me, Wakka saw me laughing. He marched up to me, looked very angry.

"It wasn't me!" I cried, still grinning.

Tidus took a defensive stance, silently daring the sheet to move.

"That's not a fiend, you dummy!" I shouted, running over to him.

"AAAHHH!" He jumped, and then he lost his balance and fell right on his rear. I snickered. "Hey!"

"That's a sheet off of one of the beds in the Crusader's Lodge!"

He gave me a funny look. "Where'd you come from?" He asked.

"Over there." I pointed to the tent.

"Uh... so, who are you?"

"I'm Lyssa. Well, _A_lyssa, but my friends just call me Lyssa."

"Oh...kay?" He's so cute when he's confused...

Moving on.

"So, you're the guy who washed up on the beach?"

"Uh... yeah." He got up, finally realizing he was still on the ground.

"So... you're from Zanarkand?"

"Um... how do you so much about me?" He asked.

"Oh, I... overheard you and Wakka talking, earlier, on the beach. I'm the one who pushed him in the water after he pushed you." Someone grabbed me in a headlock. "EEEEK!! LET ME GO!!" I screamed.

"Speaking... of... which... I still owe you dunk, missy!" Wakka. Why did it have to be Wakka. He half-dragged me across the village, with Tidus following. I swear if he laughed any harder he'd have wet his pants.

I couldn't do anything but let Wakka drag me along the trail. I'm just glad my head is still in contact. "LET ME GO RIGHT NOW!!" I demanded. Wakka oh-so-conveniently lost the ability to hear when I decided to open my mouth. "You'll... regret this!" I had to pause to keep him from strangling me.

He dragged me all of the way back to the same place I had shoved him in. Now I regretted doing it.

"It's not nice... to... play... tricks on people!" He said. Tidus was behind his laughing. He certainly wouldn't be laughing later when I got my hands on him...

Then, to my utmost horror, Wakka hurled my off the edge and into the water. I plummetted down, faceplanting the cool liquid.

He was _so_ gonna pay for that.

I found I could 'breathe' this water as well. I wondered if they could too... If they couldn't, I had a nasty trick to play on them...

All thoughts of nasty tricks evaded my mind when six VERY unhappy looking fish with VERY sharp teeth swam past me. I knew they were coming around in a circle, most likely to eat me.

I still didn't have a weapon.

Fear can make you do some pretty awesome things!

I shot out of the water like a cat, clinging to the steep cliff and screaming my head off. Two fish jumped after me, snapping their jaws shut seriously TWO INCHES from my toes. That's something I never want to see again. I scaled that wall like I'd been climbing those things for my whole life.

Wakka and Tidus were just standing there like morons, laughing their butts off. That could only mean one thing.

Payback time.

I marched up to them, grabbed one of their ears with each of my hands, and dragged them in that fashion to the edge.

"Hey, wait! W-we were even, ya?" Wakka said quickly. Not good enough.

"I didn't have anything to do with this! Let me go! OW!" Tidus shouted. I jerked his ear just hard enough for him to feel the pain. Their feet were two inches from the edge. I made them put their heads down, staring straight into the water and the hungry fish that were jumping up toward us.

I let go of their ears, jerked my arms above their heads, and smacked them both on the back of their head. At the same time, they both plummetted off the edge and into the water. I smirked, watching the shiny surface. They didn't come up for a while, and neither did any fish.

Blood smeared the glassy water. My heart stopped. Maybe throwing them into a pool of hungry sharp-toothed fish wasn't such a good idea...

I stared down at the red splotch on the surface. It seemed to be getting bigger...

A second one joined it.

My stomach turned violently. I felt absolutely sick. What if they'd died because of me? What if I had killed them? My head spun, and for a moment, I thought I would lose my balance and fall into the water with them.

A third spot appeared. I blinked.

A dead fish floated to the surface, followed by two more.

I sighed in relief. They weren't dead.

Three more red spots, followed by three more fish, floated to the surface. Two heads bobbed up, several feet away from the sickening carnage.

"Hey! That wasn't nice, ya?" Wakka shouted.

"Well it wasn't nice for you to throw me and Tidus in, either!" I justified.

"Why'd you throw _me_ in!?" Tidus yelled.

"Cuz you were laughing. It's not so funny when you're the one being thrown in, is it!"

He gave me a very dark look, one that just about scared my out of my skin. I took one step back from the edge. "Come on! You're gonna miss the rest of the celebration!" A new plan formed in my mind, a far more evil plan than the first two. With that plan firmly in mind, I skipped up the trail to the villaige.

* * *

Sorry it took so long! Don't hate me! :( It had to do with a very long story concerning internet and dogs. Don't ask.

REVIEW PLEASE!! Fifteenth reviewer gets a cookie! XD


	7. Chapter 7

_I'm baaack!! _Sorry about the short notice hiatus. I put it on the summary, but I'm not sure if anyone saw it... Anyway, I WILL finish this story, I swear! It may get a little dusty waiting in the corner... but I'll still find it! I got grounded, so... yeah. You know how that is... Not too long, I hope? (hit with tomatoes) Okay, okay! Sorry! (hit with flying hammer) x.x

_**Chapter Seven**_

I walked up the path, my newest evil plan clear in my mind. They would pay dearly for that stunt. Especially Wakka.

"Plotting against your friends isn't a wise thing to do." A voice said behind me. I knew at once who it was.

"So? They deserve it."

"I can't stop you from doing what you want, but I can warn you that the consequences will be heavy." I turned to face the hooded Fayth.

"You sound like my mom. Can't you just say what'll happen?"

"You won't be able to return home." He said simply.

I sighed. I hate being talked out of my evil plans. Especially the majorly good ones. "Fine. I won't say anything." I said. Defeat is a very, very annoying thing. Especially when it's you being defeated. I rolled my eyes and turned around, heading up the path. A wolf howled in the distance. Or so I wished. It was actually quite close, which scared the crap out of me.

I kept walking, secretly swearing revenge on that wolf. Apparently it was doing the same as it followed me at a distance of ten feet. Thankfully, it decided I wasn't worth the effort, and it left me alone when I entered the village of Besaid. Me and a two inch pocket knife wouldn't be much of a match for a hungry animal.

The sun had decided it was time to head to the horizon, and it was getting there quite quickly. I hadn't realized it took that much time to get up the path... maybe I was just walking slowly. Either way, it was getting closer to dinner time than my stomach liked. Time apparently passed faster on Spira than I thought... yet slower at the same time. The whole thing was just a confusing problem in my mind that didn't look like it had an explanation that would easily present itself.

I, being the lazy minded person I am, decided that it was one thing better left unsolved for now. I sauntered into the crusaders tent. They were all gathered at a table, eating something... it definitely looked better than whatever Keepa had cooked before. I walked over to the leader looking person, whose name always manages to slip my mind...

"Hi."

"Hello..." He gave me a weird look, and took a bite of something that looked like steak and green peas. My stomach growled quietly.

"So, how ya doin?" I asked, grinning. He looked up at me. While his attention was on my face, I reached over and crammed a handful of peas in my pocket.

He rolled his eyes, oblivious of my victory, and cut up several pieces of the meat.

"So, how ya doin?" I asked again, in the same voice.

He looked up at me. "Do you have a problem?" He asked, sounding annoyed. Three pieces of meat 'fell' into my pocket.

"No... I was just being friendly..."

"I'm trying to eat. You're giving me indigestion." He said in a very irritated voice.

"Oh. Sorry." I turned and walked out of the tent, hiding a grin. When I got out, I stuffed the peas and meat into my mouth. Oddly enough, it looked like steak but tasted like chicken. I should've known then it was some kind of strange animal....

I looked up, swallowing the urge to jump out of my skin. Two angry people stood there, sopping wet. "Ha, you two look like you just went through a rain for-" That was as far as I got before Wakka grabbed me in a headlock. "ACK! LET ME GO!!"

"You oughta know better than to pick on people who are stronger dan you, ya?" Wakka scolded. He let me go, surprisingly. I had thought he was going to maim me in some way...

"Ow..." I rubbed my neck. "Alright, we're even, okay? No more evil death headlocks and no more pushing you two in the water, now matter how funny it is to see the look on your faces..." I decided to stop there, instead of digging myself a grave. "So, we're leaving in the morning, then?"

Wakka gave me a strange look.

"Uh... I'm heading to Luca to see the Tournament. Since a lot of people go, I might see someone familiar." I lied.

"Oh. Well, the next boat leaves tomorrow." Wakka said. "You can stick with us for a while, ya?"

I grinned. "Ya, that sounds good. Hey, do you know where that have any really cheap weapons?"

Wakka laughed. "I'll get you something, don't worry."

He took me into the weapon shop/tent/store/whatever, and asked if I could test out the weapons. The lady took out this really big sword, kinda like Auron's. When she gave me the handle, I hadn't expected it to be made of solid gravity! If I hadn't let go of that thing in exactly one point five seconds, I most likely would not have hands right now. They would be a permanent attachment to the floor. That thing must've weighed two tons!

Next she took out a smaller sword, about the same size as the one Tidus had. I picked it up and stumbled forward. The blade sunk into the ground as I tried to pick it back up. I'm not much of a swordsman...

Then she took out a spear, like Khimari's. Note: Never, ever, ever, EVER get anywhere within a ten foot radius of me when I'm holding one of those. Wakka's lucky he has fast reflexes, or he would no longer be here.

So she went on to the blitz balls, like Wakka's. I have no aim whatsoever. I aimed for the tree, but somehow I ended up smacking Wakka in the face. Which is odd because he was behind me...

Then she gave me a staff like Yuna's. I still don't get the point of those things. It was light enough, but it felt awkward. Plus there's like no attack power at all in those things.

She said she had some special things in the back, wherever that was. She came up to me with a bow and arrow. I didn't even know they had those things in Spira, but now I saw where my archery lessons would come in handy. I picked up the bow, held the arrow, pulled back the string, and wham! I hit the tree dead on.

But another thought entered my mind. What good would a bow and arrows do if a big wolf was about to eat me? I needed something for close combat.

"I think I might have something..." She said, a little bit reluctant. Then, she brought them to me. The two weapons that I loved the first time I caught their shiny glint... "They're a lightweight, but sturdy metal. The newest design in Spira. I designed them myself." She said proudly. Three blades, all melted together, about eight inches long. One for each hand. I tried them on, slipping my hands into the little holes that my fingers were supposed to go through. They fit like a glove.

I had this strange X-Men like feeling. For a moment, I almost pictured me as Logan. They did look a lot like his 'claws', but they were not built into your body. I swung my arm in the air. Perfect.

"You like them?" She asked, hopeful.

"Wow... they're... awesome."

I couldn't hardly look away from the shiny metal. They were so perfect. So awesome. So powerful...

* * *

Okay, so I couldn't find another place to end the chapter. It's a little short, sorry.... (hit with more tomatoes) I SAID SORRY!! So, I _WILL_ finish this story! If I have to lie, cheat, steal, or kill, I'll never leave this story in the dust again! Scarlet O'Hara moment... (hit with tomato) CUT IT OUT!! (hit with flying bat) x.x


	8. Chapter 8

_**Chapter Eight**_

"And here. This is to hold them when you're not using them." The woman handed me a belt, a very thin one, with two clips. They had four hooks for the four finger holes on the claws. I set down my precious new weapons and strapped it on over my belt. Then I put the claws on it. So easy... I took them off and put them back on, practicing how to do it faster.

I pictured Seymour, standing there... BAM! He'd never even see me coming.

"Here's a quiver of arrows for your bow. There was a spell cast on it when it was made. You will never run out of arrows." The woman said, handing me a lovely looking wooden quiver with silver patterns melted on it.

I thanked her and Wakka and we left. He took me into the Aurochs' tent, and we sat down. Botta had cooked dinner. I felt half guilty for stealing the Crusader dude's meal, but it might hold me over it Botta's cooking was as bad as Keepa's. Turned out, he cooked nearly the exact same thing that the Crusaders were having!

"Wow. This is awesome! What is it?" I asked.

"The meat from a bird's tail. The same one that attacked the village yesterday."

"Oh." It took my mind a moment to register what he'd just said. Sometimes my train of thought is moving so fast it has to stop and back up to get what someone says. A bird's _tail_? Weird. But then I remembered what the bird _looked_ like. That freaky thing? Ew. Ah, well, it tasted good enough. I just tried to picture a big, fat, juicy steak... with cheesecake for dessert. Mmmm.... cheeeeeeesecake.... mmmmmmmm....

Moving on.

So, I ate the freakish bird tail thing, trying not to imagine the bird. Then it was dark. Playing tricks on people is tiring.... I was almost out before my face hit the pillow. I had just been dreaming about meeting a hot rock star and going on a ski lift with him, when I was very rudely awaken by a loud voice.

"_I HATE YOU!!!_"

"YYEEEEAAAAAAAAA!!" I jumped up, terrified. Tidus was sitting up, staring at me with wide eyes. I was definitely having second thoughts about thinking he was cute at all. In fact, he was rather annoying.

"He's dead, you hear? Dead!"

I studied Tidus with a hard stare. He didn't look dead...

Then it occurred to me. It was Lulu. She was talking about Chappu. Tidus got up and went to the curtain. He peered through a crack at Lulu and Wakka.

"He does look a lot like Chappu. I was surprised too, the first time I saw him. But no matter what he may look like, he isn't Chappu." Lulu snapped.

Wakka said something, but I was too far away from the curtain.

"It's rude to eavesdrop." I said.

"Sh!"

"Excuses again? That's it. No more. Enough, Wakka!" Boy, she's evil when she's mad.

Tidus backed away from the curtain. Wakka came in.

"Scaaary." Tidus said quietly. I sat there and glared, wondering why I had forgotten to sleep somewhere else.

They turned to me, feeling the effect of my evil glare. Without looking away, I reached down and picked up one of my claws from beside my bed.

Two figures bolted from the tent like lightning. I dropped the claw and face-planted into my pillow. Sleeeeeeep....

FINALLY, I started to dream again. I was on a cloud... a warm, white, snowy could... I heard a voice.

"Alyssa, wake up."

"Katie... five more minutes...." I moaned. School sucks.

What sucks even more is getting woken up with ice-cold water being dumped all over you, only to wake up and see the devil herself standing over you.

"EEP!!"

"I said get up." She said, and then she turned around and left the tent. I looked over to see Tidus laughing at me. He wasn't laughing when I threw my pillow at him.

He sounded something like, "HAHAHAHAHAH-PTHACK!!" _Thump._ Then he fell off his bed, which was the part where I started laughing. The part where I ran for my life came three seconds later when I noticed Lulu standing three feet away. 'Scaaary' is a major understatement.

I came back in five minutes to gather my defense; a bow, a quiver of arrows, and a _very_ sharp pair of metal claws. Then I headed out of the village. The others waited for Yuna, who had a load of luggage. I knew it wouldn't be there when we got to the boat.

The boat... Sin. Sin was going to come. I truly wished there was some way to avoid that whole fiasco, but there wasn't.

With my brand new powerful weapons and a heart full of dread, I hiked up the trail toward the boat.

* * *

Heeeello people!! This chapter's a bit short... but I couldn't find a better place to end it without it going on and on. The next one should be longer. :) So, until next chapter.


	9. Chapter 9

_**Chapter Nine**_

I stood on the trail just above the village, eyes closed, breathing the cool breeze that blew in my face. For a moment, everything was alright. I heard footsteps behind me, and I kept walking.

I had forgotten one small detail.

_BOOM!!_

_KABANG!!_

_THUD!!_

_ROAR!!_

I looked up in horror. There stood Khimari, terrifying as ever. I had lost my ability to move. I couldn't even breathe. To my utmost relief, he leapt over me and confronted Tidus. My heart didn't start beating for another minute, at which point my brain told it to beat or die. I simply couldn't remember Khimari being that huge and terrifying before...

"AAHH!"

I'm the one who almost got a heart attack from that guy, and Tidus was the one screaming? Seemed a bit backwards.

As my brain still wasn't registering that it needed to function, I barely even heard Lulu telling Khimari to leave Tidus alone. I still don't know why he hadn't just attacked me, but maybe the look on my face made him realize he might actually kill me.

"What's with that guy?" Tidus asked.

"Khimari Ronso, of the Ronso tribe." Wakka replied.

Yeah, yeah, yeah. I'd heard his lectures a thousand times. I walked along the trail, humming a tune from the game quietly. It's so easy to tune people out when you try. So easy, in fact, that sometimes you don't realize they're calling your name.

"Hey! Did you change your name or somethin'?" Wakka asked, tapping me on the shoulder.

"What?"

"I've been calling your name, but you won't look up."

"Oh, sorry. I was just thinking." Good old excuses.

"What of?"

"Oh, uh.... just trying to remember stuff." If I'd told him what I was actually thinking about, he'd have head locked me again and probably thrown me off the cliff.

"Ah. Well, you might wanna practice with us. We're warming up on some fiends before we leave."

"You're.... what?"

"Just warming up. The fiends we'll meet on the pilgrimage are much worse than the ones here. Might as well get some practice." He said.

"Oh, riiiiight." I wasn't sure whether to grab my claws or my bow, so I just followed him instead.

Tidus, Lulu, and Yuna were gathered by a wolf and a bird. Tidus, the genius, swung at the bird. Most surprisingly, he missed it by about ten feet.

"Hey!" Wakka called, running up next to him. "Let me handle the fliers, ya?" He tossed his blitz ball with deadly accuracy and knocked the bird right out of the sky. It plopped to the ground. And it didn't move. I shuddered. Weren't they supposed to disappear or something? To my relief, it burst into pyreflies.

The wolf lunged at Tidus. He whacked it with the side of his sword, pushing it away.

"Hello, genius. You're supposed to hit it with the sharp edge!" I called.

"Why don't you try it!" He shot back.

One bad thing about me is that I have the ego of two men. No one challenges me and gets away with it. I stomped up to them. "Fine!" I looked at the snarling wolf. Distance seemed better than getting close to that thing... I took out my bow and loaded it with an arrow.

"That's cheating. Use your metal claw thing." Tidus said tauntingly.

I glared at him. Why do I always get talked out of the easy way? Don't answer that...

I put the arrow back in the quiver and picked up my claws. "Here goes everything..." I muttered. I half-jumped, half-stepped to the wolf and swung, closing my eyes. To my relief, there was an ear-piercing yelp. The wolf stumbled backward and fell down before bursting into pyreflies. "Ha! Beat that!" I shouted to Tidus.

He crossed his arms and glared.

Then came the terrifying part. That big ugly bird thing that Yuna's aeon kills? Yeah. Don't mess with that thing. Don't even go near it. Don't even be anywhere near the _thought_ of it. Or the sound of it. Or the name of it.

I learned that the hard way. That _thing_ came hurdling out of nowhere and stopped three feet from us.

"Uuhhhhh.... wow...." That's the only thing that came out of my mouth.

"Flier. That's your department, right?" Tidus asked.

"Yeah, but... uh..." Wakka started.

"Oh, come on. You scared or somethin'?" I asked. "Even _I_ could take that thing!" Times like these are when it's good to shut your mouth.

"You sure?" Wakka asked.

"Yeah! Come on!" I pulled out my bow and loaded it. I aimed for the neck. If only it would've stopped moving.... I hit it in the chest, where the arrow bounced off. I guess I should've seen it coming. Because now I'd pissed it off.

That thing looked at my with its evil eyes, and suddenly I knew it was either duck or die. It dove at me at the speed of light, and I ducked.... My heart stopped. My lungs stopped. My _brain_ stopped. I couldn't breathe. I couldn't talk. I couldn't even _move_. The speed of light turned agonizingly slow....

Thank the Lord that Yuna has a kind heart and a fast mind.

Valefore came out of nowhere, literally, and basically wiped the floor with that thing's face. I hope its friends saw too, and maybe they'll warn all the fiends to leave us alone or deal with Valefore.

Valefore swooped down, grabbed the big bird by the neck, and tossed it on the ground. Then the aeon pounded it into the dirt with its claws, whacked it with its wings, and was gone. The evil bird turned into pyreflies.

And I was still alive.

* * *

A/n: Phew! One tense chapter, and one still alive me!

REVIEW PLEASE!!!! (twentieth reviewer gets a cookie!)


	10. Chapter 10

_**Chapter Ten**_

The rest of the training, I kept my mouth shut and didn't once offer to help anyone or anything. I just watched.

FINALLY, when I was almost sure that fiends would be extinct on Besaid, we headed down to the beach. I walked over to Yuna. "Hey, uh... thanks."

"Hm?" She looked over at me.

"For earlier. Uh... I guess I kinda got a little ahead of myself."

"Oh! It was nothing, really."

"Well, I could've gotten really hurt if you hadn't summoned Valefore. Thanks."

She nodded. Some people just can't take compliments or thank yous. Yuna's a really nice person, but sometimes I kinda wish she'd be a little meaner. Or at least be more straightforward and less 'humble.'

I walked up the ramp onto the boat. The others got on behind me. I watched the crowd, all of them crying and saying 'goodbye'. Boy, would they be surprised when Yuna turned up in about a week or two. I never did count the days it took....

"Goodbye," Yuna said, doing the prayer.

A little boy ran to the end of the dock, waving and sobbing.

Of course, half the group went straight to where I wanted to go; to the front of the boat. I had to wait.

So, while I was waiting anyway...

Tidus was harassing the guy with binoculars. This was going to be fun. First, he was practically riding the guy, then he did a flip and snatched up the binoculars. I knew from experience why he wanted them.

He turned around and looked in Lulu's direction.

"Lulu! Tidus is looking down your dress!" I called.

She turned around and looked at him with one of her evil looks.

"What!? I AM NOT!" He cried.

Right on cue, Yuna walked around the corner, followed by the fan club. Tidus put up the binoculars again. I saw my chance, climbed up on the rail, and jumped on him from behind in a kind of forced piggy-back ride.

"GIMME!! GIMME!!" I cried.

"ACK!! Get OFF!!" He stumbled around, trying to get me off his back. I had one arm around his neck, choking him, and with the other I was reaching for the binoculars which he _wouldn't stop moving_ or it would've been a lot easier!

"I want a turn!" I whined in his ear.

Yuna giggled, waving at us from across the boat. The man whose binoculars Tidus stole was watching us in distress, and I could tell he was praying that we wouldn't drop them.

"HA! GIMME!! MINE!" I cried, trying to reach the binoculars. I finally just smacked him upside the head. "STOP MOVING!!" It worked; he finally moved his hand where I could reach it. I snatched the binoculars, jumped the few inches to the ground, almost fell twice trying to get enough coordination to run, and scurried to the opposite end of the boat. Tidus was whining to Wakka that I had taken his binoculars.

Meanwhile, I had some spying to do. I climbed up the stairs to the top of the boat, and then I laid down flat and looked through the rail at the group.

Someone walked up behind me. "You fool!" He cried, snatching up my binoculars. "You could've broken them!"

"Tidus took 'em first. _I_ was being careful." I said, standing up. I had to get those back somehow.

"I can't see why Lady Yuna would put up with incompetent morons such as yourself."

My jaw dropped. "Ex_CUSE_ me?!" I was two inches and half a second from seriously maiming the guy, but I really wanted to eavesdrop on Wakka and Tidus and Yuna.

"Come to think of it, I haven't told you where we're going." Wakka said. "First to Kilika island. Then we change boats and head for Luca."

I turned around, but the guy was gone. I gave up maiming him for a lecture?

"Before that though, Yuna's gotta pray at the temple. I'll be guarding."

I scoffed. Rotten stupid lecture and his stupid Wakkas. Wait..... reverse that.

"We'll be praying for the Aurochs' victory, too, so you come along, ya?"

Lulu sighed. "Great plan." She said sarcastically.

"Hey! It is a great plan!" Wakka said defensively.

"Don't look at me!" Tidus said, stepping back. I was glaring at the three of them. Tidus walked away and headed for the crowd up front.

I walked down the stairs, looking for my binoculars. And the evil fart who took them.

"So, is Yuna's father famous or something?" Tidus asked.

I sensed another lecture coming on...

I headed down below deck. Maybe he was there.

Suddenly, one of the Aurochs ran past me, holding their mouth. He threw open a door and the sounds that came from that room made my stomach turn.

"BLEAAKHHH!!" Then a groan. "Oh, my tummy... BLEAAAAKHHHH!!"

I couldn't believe Botta still said 'tummy'. _That_ was _definitely _going into my blackmail book. I walked up the stairs while Keepa nearly knocked me down running after Botta. I still think he was trying to do that on purpose.

"Wakka's a bit... lacking, in the imagination department." Lulu was talking. I nearly burst out laughing.

"Huh?" Wakka looked around.

Tidus chuckled. "Thanks, Lulu. I'll keep that in mind."

"Oh, yeah. You talked to Yuna yet? She had some questions for you." Wakka said to Tidus.

Rude ignoramus that he is, he didn't even bother to say anything to Wakka before he just walked off.

The crowd had broken up, but now Tidus and Yuna were hogging the front. I casually walked over behind them to eavesdrop, which was easy since I was downwind.

As long as neither of them farted I was fine.

I leaned on the rope, looking down at the water; or rather, pretending to.

Tidus yawned and stretched, and then he leaned in a similar fashion to the way I was leaning on the rope.

"The wind...It's nice." Yuna said.

And then they just started laughing for no reason. I never understood that. Maybe it was Yuna's partially lame boring conversation attempt. I still don't know. They were just laughing.

Then they stopped. Again, reason unknown.

"You're a blitzball player, aren't you? From Zanarkand, right?" Yuna asked. That would make for better conversation than the first comment.

"Uh, you hear that from Wakka?" Tidus asked. No duh, Sherlock. "Wakka... Wakka doesn't believe me at all."

Yuna stepped back for a dramatic effect. "But, I believe you."

"Uh?" Two guesses for who that was.

"I've heard in Zanarkand there's a great staduim... all lit up, even at night! Great blitzball tournaments are held there, and the stands are always full." Yuna said that as if it was the most uncommon thing in the world. Oh, wait... never mind.

"How do you know that!?" Tidus asked, stepping up to her.

"A man named Jecht told me. He was my father's guardian." Yuna replied.

"Jecht...Jecht..." Tidus muttered, turning away. "My father...his name is Jecht." He definitely didn't sound excited.

Yuna gasped. "Amazing!" For the extra dramatic effect, she even performed the prayer. I didn't know what was wrong with her, it's not that exciting. Jecht was a jerk, and Sin was a very ugly mean thing. "You know, our meeting like this must be the blessing of Yevon!" Or the curse of the devil. Not like there's a big difference...

"Sounds like him, but... It can't be him." Tidus said.

"You have no idea." I muttered.

"Why not?"

"My old man, he died... ten years ago, off the coast of Zanarkand." Tidus said, almost sadly.

"I'm sorry." Yuna said, turning around.

"He went out to sea for training one day, and never came back." He stood up straight. "And no one's seen him since then."

"Why, that's the day that Jecht came to Spira!" Yuna cried. "It's true. I first met Jecht ten years and three months ago! I remember that was the day my father left. The date fits, doesn't it?"

I took a deep breath of air. Why was I listening to this again? Don't answer that...

Tidus laughed nervously. "Yeah, but... How would he get here?"

"You're here...are you not?" Nope. No Tidus here. Just Yuna, talking to her imaginary friend!

I should've seen it coming, but nope. Of course not.

_BOOM!!_

"Oh!" Yuna cried out as something _BIG_ hit the boat. My worst nightmare. I fell forwards, and luckily the rope was there to catch me. Water smacked me in the face. I reached madly for the rope, trying to get a grip on it. I knew what was coming. The boat shifted. I stumbled backwards, trying to grab the rope. Bad hand-eye coordination does not help in a time of panic and desperation.

You guessed it.

I missed.

* * *

A/n: Phew. No, I didn't do that by memory. I had to spend two hours looking for it on YouTube because I'm currently grounded from my game. Then I spent another two hours copying it down. So this was a tiring chapter. (insert applause and reviews here please)

Sorry for short notice, I hope my faithful readers see this. This is going on hiatus again, but I WILL finish it, I SWEAR. So, sorry, but... no chapters for a while. Probably longer than last time, but, yeah. Sorry.


	11. Chapter 11

_**Chapter Eleven**_

As I fell in agonizingly slow motion, couldn't help but notice the ten other people tumbling toward the water. I lurched forward, and I could've sworn there was a splat when I hit the ground. Then I started sliding. I don't know what Yuna was screaming about; she was holding onto the harpoon shooter.

In an act of quick thinking, I grabbed one of my claws and stuck it in the floor, and then I held onto it for dear life. A high-pitched scream sounded from below. At least I was safe.

Botta came running up two seconds later. "FIEND!! FIEND!!"

"NO FRICKIN' DUH SHERLOCK!!" I shouted.

"Sin!" Someone shouted behind me.

"What are you people deaf _and_ blind!?" I turned around. Bad idea. That thing looks big in good graphics on a tv, but when you are actually _there_, watching it shoot up out of the water like a rocket....

Yeah.

I screamed.

So did Botta.

Only he was screaming at me to shut up.

Keepa ran to the edge, watching Sin. Yeah, brilliant. There's a big huge monster right there, I think I'll go play with it.

Then the other moron ran over to the harpoon and prepared to fire.

Rule number one. If there's a big ugly monster right there that wants to kill you, DON'T PROVOKE IT!!

Khimari was there, helping Yuna stand. Because she didn't have her own two legs AND a harpoon to lean on.

Meanwhile, I barely managed to get up with the boat rocking back and forth so much.

"What do you think you're doing!? Stick a harpoon in him and we'll all get dragged under!" Wakka shouted at him. I wanted to smack the guy with the harpoon upside the head. But I couldn't. The ship was shaking so bad I could barely stand, let alone maim someone. Wait... how did Wakka know Sin was a 'him'?

Never mind.

I knew what was coming. I also knew there was only one way out of it.

Run. For. Your. Life.

Now.

Two guesses to what I did.

Someone grabbed my shirt. "Oh, no you don't." That someone was going to die. "You're not going to back out now!"

Three words ran through my mind. _Must. Kill. Wakka!_

I struggled and screamed, but _nooo_. Not like he would want me to live.

"If I die I am _SO_ going to kill you!" I shouted at him. It made no sense, but your mind fails to do that when in major panic.

He dragged my sorry screaming butt all the way to the front of the boat, just as several sinscales flew off of Sin and slammed into the ground. If you've never seen one up close, let me tell you. They are THREE TIMES the size of the ones in the game. Not only that, but they are fifteen times more terrifying. I stared at them. We had about fifteen seconds before they started firing little spiney spits at us.

Now my mind chose to react.

"You with the sword! Get those sinscales! Wakka, Lulu, use your magic and blitzball to get Sin. Come on!" I shouted, pulling out my bow and loading up an arrow.

Lulu cast multiple fire spells, while Wakka tossed his boomerang-like blitzball that somehow managed to get all of the way back to him even though we were still on a moving boat. Don't ask me how it does that, because I have _NO_ clue.

Then, Yuna, no telling how she learned that trick so early, cast a haste spell on me. Either that or someone slowed time waaaay down. Everyone was so slow.... I picked up my bow, aimed, and fired. Wakka slowly pulled back his arm. Tidus stayed in midleap for several seconds with his sword raised. Suddenly, he started moving fast too. He slashed through a sinscaled and darted for the next one.

Sin didn't have time to replentish the sinscales before Lulu and Wakka joined Tidus and I in the mad haste-spell frenzy. We were practically unstoppable. Sin realized how close we were to killing it, and it mave one last move; dislodging the harpoon shooter from the boat in a show of slow-motion array of splinters and a loud boom. My haste spell wore off.

I knew someone was missing. Tidus. Of course.

"Hey, Wakka, um... Where's Tidus?" I asked innocently, edging toward the edge of the boat.

Wakka looked around. "Huh?"

"Oh, no! He's down there!" I cried, tossing my bow and arrows behind and diving in. Maybe there was a chance I could save him without having to put up with the Sinspawn...

I grabbed his arm and swam for the surface. Incoming, I could feel the water moving. Two fish darted past us. I gasped, looking down.

Nope, of course not.

'Cuz there it was, big and ugly as ever.

* * *

A/n: YIPPE!! NOTHER CHAPTER UP!! YAY FOR ME!!

Temporary hiatus up, sorry... But I will post chapters when I can. No promises. :\

REVIEW PLEASE!!


	12. Chapter 12

_**Chapter Twelve**_

I couldn't swim as fast as I normally could having to drag Tidus behind me. I sure hoped he could do the breathe-under-water thing too.

The Sinspawn was getting closer. I kicked harder.

A fast moving blitzball shot through the water and missed me by two inches and missed Tidus by half an inch. It smacked a fish that was heading for us.

Wakka dove in two seconds later and grabbed his blitzball. He opened up a small bottle above Tidus' mouth, and the contents blended with the water.

I could see now that he was breathing. He breathed in the stuff, choked once, and looked up. Wakka signaled me to get back to the surface. I shook my head and readied my claws. No way I was gonna leave and let them take all the credit.

A white light shot into the water, scaring me a bit. It hit Wakka, and then he started moving in a blur, smacking the crap out of the Sinspawn before it even got close. Then the light hit me.

Wakka slowed to normal, but Tidus and the Sinspawn were unbelievably slow. I dove for it and slashed off one of its tentacles. It didn't even have a chance to flinch before I slashed off two more. This haste thing that Yuna had learned was coming in handy a lot. If she ever didn't use it on me during battle, I swore I would run for my life.

Tidus joined us what seemed like an eternity later. He dove for the thing, sword out, and slashed right through its middle. It cringed very slowly, and then burst into pyreflies. I swam up and broke the surface. Wakka and Tidus were right next to me.

"So you can do it too?" I asked.

"What?" Wakka looked at me skeptically.

"The breathing under water thing." I said.

"Sh! Keep quiet about that! It's a blitzer's secret, ya? Only born blitz players and Al Bhed can do that." Wakka said in a stage whisper. His haste spell wore off as he climbed into the boat. I climbed up after him, and then so did mine.

Tidus climbed up in less than half the speed.

Man, I thought he was hyper before, but now...

"Manthatwascooldidyouseehowfastwetookoutthatthing?" Oh, trust me. He said it faster than that.

"What?" I asked.

"Whyareyoutalkingsoslow?"

Luckily, I knew fast talk from deciphering and communicating with my friend on a sugar high. "I'mnottalkingslowyou'retalkingfast."

Wakka was standing two feet away, staring at us like we were from another planet.

"Seenowyouretalkingregularbeforeyouwerereallyslow."

"Oh GET OFF THE HASTE THING ALREADY!" I shouted.

As if on cue, he slowed down a _lot_. And then he was laughing at me.

"Y-you sounded like, 'GEEEEEETTTT....OOOOFFFFFF...THEEE...HAAAASSSTTEEE...SSPPPEE-"

_WHACK!!_

_SMACK!!_

_THUNK!!_

_OW!!_

Wait, put quotations on that last one.

Tidus sat on the ground, rubbing his head.

"SHUT UP!!" I yelled.

Yuna stifled a laugh, but the rest of them were just glaring.

I ignored them for the moment. "You should've heard what you sounded like, mister icantalkfastonahastespellbutimatotalmoron." I said the last part as fast as I could.

"Wh...ah...?" He just looked at me with that confused look.

"Seeicandoittoodummy." I smirked while no one in the group understood me. "Heyyougotany..." I paused, realizing I was still talking fast. "Hey, you got any coffee here?" I asked.

Wakka was skeptical. "What's coffee?"

I could've died on the spot. No coffee? "Y-you... don't have coffee?" I asked.

"I don't know what that is, ya?" Wakka said.

I sighed, disappointed. Very well, no coffee. Me on a coffee high with sugar and a haste spell would work wonders in the art of killing fiends before anyone could blink. I would be faster than Road Runner himself.

The boat drifted on, and now people were more quiet. Probably cooling down from the encounter with Sin. It had vanished, but I knew where it was heading to. My stomach felt sick, and my heart felt like an iron brick as the sun drifted closer to the horizon.

I knew it would be over by the time we arrived, but I was wrong.

"Land, ho!" A man cried.

I walked up to the front of the boat and gasped. Kilika wasn't damaged as I thought it would be.

And then I knew why.

Sin rose out of the water in all of its horror. We were at just the right angle to see everything.

The water, blasting off of Sin at high speed. It crashing into the lovely village. People being thrown. Young children screaming. Buildings being decimated. Mothers crying for their children. Children screaming for their parents. And the sickening sound of wood and living beings being destroyed in a single blow.

I heard the cries of the men who were fathers and husbands on board in the back of my mind.

Tears blurred my vision. How could this be happening? The crushing feeling on my chest suffocated me. The sense of death hung in the air. People were screaming in terror... and most of their screams were cut off.

I didn't even realize it at first, but I found myself softly singing the hymn of the fayth while the destruction of Kilika went on.

"Ieyui, nobomenu. Renmiri, yojuyogo. Hasatekanae, kutamae."

As sudden as it had appeared, Sin sank beneath the waters and was gone. Wails and cries for loved ones now gone drifted to my ears over the breeze.

A single blitzball bobbed in the now still water.

I fell on my knees and sobbed.

* * *

_A/n: I did look up the actual lyrics to the hymn of the fayth. There was a translation, too. If anyone has any questions, you can review or PM (private message) me._

_REVIEW PLEASE!!  
_


	13. Chapter 13

**_Chapter Thirteen_**

Everyone stood in shock of what had just taken place. It was devastating. I leaned over the edge of the boat, looking into the water as two tears made ripples in the surface.

"I _will_ defeat Sin… I _must_ defeat Sin…" I heard Yuna mutter.

Tidus was lying in the middle of the deck, staring sadly up into the sky. Yuna sat by him, staring into the distance.

We got off the boat at the Kilika Dock. It was one of the most devastating sights I'd ever seen. Houses were torn from their foundations. People were lying about, wounded. What people weren't injured were trying desperately to help in some way.

"Greetings. I am the Summoner Yuna. I have come from the temple in Besaid." Yuna said, doing the prayer in a sign of greeting.

"Oh! M'lady Summoner!" A woman cried.

"If there is no other Summoner here, please allow me to perform the sending." She said.

"Thanks be to ye." The man standing next to the woman said.

"Our loved ones… we feared they would become fiends!" The woman said.

"Please… take me to them." Yuna said. Her guardians followed her after the couple, all except for Wakka and Tidus.

"We'll go see what we can do to help in town." Wakka said to him. They left as well in the same direction Yuna was going.

A little girl sat on the edge of one of the wooden paths, holding a homemade doll. Tears were in her eyes. I stopped. She looked up at me.

"Why did Sin have to take my mommy?" She asked.

A lump rose in my throat. I struggled to talk past it. "One day soon, Sin will be gone. Forever. And you won't have to lose anyone, ever again."

"But Sin always comes back." She replied.

"Not this time. Summoner Yuna will destroy Sin forever. I promise." I told her.

She shook her head and looked down, hugging her doll close to her.

"Alyssa!" Lulu called.

I looked up and walked after them. A teenage girl sat with her legs dangling in the water, sobbing quietly. I stopped, glancing to see if the others were going too fast. Wakka was talking to someone several feet away, and Lulu and Yuna were talking as they walked. Tidus was following them, looking confused.

I sat down next to the crying girl. She didn't look much older than me. "What's wrong?" I asked.

"He's dead… Sin took everything… my mother… my father… my fiancée…" She said softly, choking back her sobs.

"I'm sorry…" I replied.

"We were here… sitting. He asked me to marry him. I said yes. But then… Sin came. We ran, like everyone, even knowing we wouldn't escape… he took me into that bungalow…" She turned and pointed to a building that had lost its roof. "…and he protected me. But in doing so…" More tears streamed down her face. She sobbed softly. "He died… to protect me…"

I blinked away my own tears, knowing she was in far more pain than me. "It won't be this way for long. Summoner Yuna will kill Sin."

"But she will die. And Sin will return." She replied.

"Not this time. I know in my heart. This time will be different. Sin will not come back."

"How do you know…?" She retorted.

"Because… I…" I paused, realizing how stupid it would sound to tell her that she was really from a video game I loved in a different world. "I just know."

"Well, I knew too, when Summoner Braska died. But here we are. And there Sin is."

"Well, maybe you don't believe me, but I know it'll be different." I stood up and walked over to Yuna and Lulu.

Yuna looked depressed, which was unlike her. She was trying to be strong and happy, but I knew her well enough to know that she felt worse than I did. She forced a friendly smile when she saw me. I did my best to do the same.

Then she walked down toward the water and began talking with someone.

"Have you… been crying?" Tidus asked, walking up to me.

"No…" I lied. Usually, if I don't cry that much, it doesn't show at all.

"Your eyes are all red…"

"Allergies." I said, and then I faked a sneeze.

"What're you allergic to?" He asked. Typical of him to be the biggest ass he could.

"Pollen…" I muttered through clenched teeth. Because I'm one of the few people who aren't allergic to oxygen, I don't know that much _about_ being allergic to it. The only thing I'm allergic to is certain brands of soap. And lectures. But I have totally different reactions. With soap, I get a rash. With lectures, something inside my brain begins to eat my mind from the inside out… _ANYWAY_…

"You weren't sneezing on Besaid. There's a lot more pollen there than on the beach." He argued.

"I don't control it, okay!? Leave me alone!" I snapped, walking a few feet away.

He followed. "And besides, we're _on the beach_. There's no flowers here." He insisted.

"Yes, there are. Look." I pointed to the array of… coffins, or whatever those things were that the people had put in the water to honor the dead. They were covered in flowers. I faked a sneeze.

"Oh…" He said, defeated.

Two points for the girl with no allergies to pollen!

"What's a sending? Are we going somewhere?" Tidus asked.

I shot him a glare, but he was talking to Lulu.

She scoffed. "You truly _are_ clueless." I couldn't believe it took her that long to get it. "Are you sure it's just your memory that's the problem?" She asked.

I couldn't help but smile.

"The dead need guidance." She said. "Filled with grief over their own death, they refuse to face their fate. They yearn to live on, and resent those still alive. You see, they envy the living. And in time, that envy turns to anger; even hate. Should these souls remain in Spira, they become fiends and prey on the living. Sad, isn't it…?" She seemed to be acting sarcastic, which I thought was cruel in this situation. "The sending takes them to the farplane, where they may rest in peace."

"Summoners do this?" Tidus asked. Two points for Genius number one!

Lulu made a 'hmph' sound and turned to watch Yuna.

She turned around and started toward the water, gripping her Summoners' staff like it was her life. At that moment, I was sure Sin itself couldn't rip it out of her hand.

I watched closely as her feet touched the water. She walked out several feet and stopped for a second. Anyone else surely would've fallen beneath the surface, but somehow, she managed to stand on the surface of the water.

She waved her wand in a circle, raising several of the pyreflies from the coffin-like boxes beneath the water.

She spun around, waving the staff. The water began to rise up beneath her, lifting her higher into the air as she danced in a circle. The pyreflies circled about, creating the full effect of the sending.

I glanced over at Tidus. His face was expressionless, but the look in his eyes said everything. It was one of those rare moments when guys show emotions; one of the reasons that makes spending time with them bearable.

His eyes tracked her every move. It was so sweet I almost cried again.

The girl I'd talked to earlier fell on her knees, sobbing.

Tidus walked forward, to the edge of the water. He took a step, and somehow didn't sink. He stared at Yuna as she finished the sending.

The pyreflies flew off into the sky, hopefully heading to the farplane.

Yuna stepped onto the dock. Her head was high, despite the two tears that dampened her cheeks. She and two islanders exchanged the prayer.

"It must be tough… being a Summoner." Tidus mused.

"Yuna chose her own path. She knew, from the beginning, what it meant." Lulu replied. "All we can do is protect her along the way… until the end."

"Until the… end? What's the end?" He asked. I was half-tempted to shout it at him and smack him at the same time. I scoffed and crossed my arms instead. Everyone turned and stared at him like he'd just told them his father was Sin. That was punishment enough.

Lulu shrugged and sighed, shaking her head. "Until she defeats Sin." She said harshly, walking a few feet away from him. I couldn't blame her. Perhaps when God made him He was so busy making him look good that He forgot to put a brain in his head…

Tidus shrugged at the people who were still staring at him.

Yuna came running up to Lulu, looking like a little girl who'd just learned how to swim and wanted confirmation from her parents. "I hope… I hope I did okay." She said. I watched as two tears slipped down her cheeks.

"You did very well." Lulu said, embracing her. "They've reached the farplane by now, but… No tears next time, hm?"

Yuna nodded as Lulu wiped the dried tears off her face.

After that was done, we left to one of the few standing buildings, which just-so-conveniently happened to be an inn. I remember walking up to the bed, but that was it.

My memory blacked out, and I can only assume that I plopped face-first into bed and slept through the whole night.

* * *

_A/n: Reviews would be nice, considering I had to look up the sending on YouTube after my friend's evil telepathic person thing erased my memory of it... ANYWAY_

_REVIEW PLEASE!! PRETTY PLEASE!! WITH A HUG AND A COOKIE ON TOP! OKAY FORGET THE HUG MAKE IT TWO COOKIES!! PLEEEEAAASSSEE!!_

_On a side note, a friend of mine wrote a really good Final Fantasy One-Shot that is really good and really sad and we're both disappointed that it got no reviews... so if you could do us both a nice favor and don't mention I told you this, and review a one-shot called... I think it's called 'A Moment' but don't quote me on that.... x.x and if anyone asks I said nothing! :D_

_You didn't see ANYTHING. (except a review button that looks like it says 'Submit Review' but really says 'Click Here Or Die'...)  
_


	14. Chapter 14

_**Chapter Fourteen**_

I could feel the warm sunlight on my face…

I could hear the sounds of people conversing in the hall outside…

And most annoying of all, I could smell my own B.O.

I rolled over and groaned, covering my face with the blanket, ripping it off my feet in the process.

The next two minutes were spent trying to keep my eyes closed while kicking the crap out of the blanket and hoping that it would somehow pull itself back over my legs.

"I GIVE UP!!!" I yelled.

"_WHAAAAAA_!!"

_PLOP._

"_OW_!!"

I looked over to see Tidus laying on the floor, glaring up at me. Apparently, after I was asleep, the group had chosen who would stay with who. There were two beds in each room.

Wakka and Khimari were in one room, and Yuna and Lulu were in the other.

That left Tidus in my room.

The thing is, I didn't stop to figure out all of that hard thinking. All I knew was I'd just woken up and a guy was in my room staring at me.

I did what any girl would've done.

I grabbed my pillow and smacked the crap out of him!

"WHAT ARE YOU DOING IN HERE!!??? PERVERT!!"

"ACK! OW! HEY! STOP! I'M NOT _OW_ A PERVERT _OW_!! _WILL YOU CUT IT OUT!!??_" He yelled.

I stepped back, holding my pillow up defensively while he stood up and tried to straighten out his clothes.

"Sheesh! First I get woken up by you yelling and then all of the sudden I get the daylights beat out of me and get called a pervert…" He said, glaring at me.

I glared back. "I went to sleep in an empty room. First I get woken up by evil possessed blankets and then I see a guy I hardly know on the floor staring at me."

"I was on the floor because I fell out of bed when you yelled." He protested.

I stuck out my tongue.

"Very attractive." He said sarcastically.

I smacked him in the face with my pillow.

"PTHACK!! What was that for!?" He cried.

"There was a fly above your head. I missed, sorry." I said, smirking. I tossed the pillow on the bed and then I walked out of the room and down the stars.

_BAM!!_

_THUD!_

_CRASH!!_

Something along the lines of the mix between a sledgehammer and a bowling ball slugged me in the gut and pushed me flat on my rear, which was painful since I landed half on the last stair and scraped my back on my way to the ground.

"_OOOWWWWW!!_" I screamed.

The sledge-ball got up, laughing, and began running in circles yelling, "IMMA BLITZBALL!! IMMA BLITZBALL!!" Which he didn't know was 'me' language for "I want you to kill me in the most painful way possible."

"As soon as I can walk…" I muttered, getting up off the ground. I was almost positive that I would have a nice big bruise on my butt within five minutes. That and a broken tail-bone.

He came running at me again, but at the most convenient time ever in the history of his life, Tidus came running down the stairs.

"You forgot this…" He began, holding my bow and arrows in one hand and my claws in the other.

I grabbed one of the claws and held it up like I was going to maim the kid running toward me and yelled, "_RRRAAAAAAAWWWWRRR!!!_"

He took off in the opposite direction, screaming like a little girl.

It. Was. Awesome.

I grinned, grabbing my other claw and attaching it to my belt.

Then I snatched my bow and quiver from Tidus and put them on my back. I went outside.

People were working on the pathways, happy as ever. It was like Sin never came. I tried not to give them weird looks and walked around the corner toward the forest for some early morning target practice.

A little kid sat crying in what looked like an upside down building with the bottom missing. It was barely hanging on against the pathway.

I stepped forward, to talk to him.

Bad idea.

The board under me lifted, and I stepped back. When it crashed down, it smacked the only thing that the hut was holding onto, which in turn snapped.

The entire thing was about to crush the poor kid! I jumped onto the building. "Hold on!" I yelled, scooping up the kid. My back protested with a lot of pain from my earlier incident, but I had to get us out of there.

The platform was dissolving under my feet. I reached up and grabbed the edge with one hand, hanging on to the kid with my other hand.

_Really_ bad idea.

I thought I could pull it off, cuz they've done it in movies and games a thousand times. The thing I forgot was, last time I tried it, holding only my weight, my entire arm gave out and I ended up in a pile on the ground.

But this time I not only had _my_ weight, I had my _weapons_. On top of that, I was carrying the kid with my other arm.

Yeah.

I screamed for help, knowing that splintered boards wouldn't be too friendly a landing for anything weighing over twenty pounds.

I screamed again as a splinter drove itself into my middle finger. My arm was throbbing, and my hand was slipping. And my finger was now bleeding.

"OW!! SOMEONE HELP!!" I cried, just as my hand was slipping farther off the edge.

A hand clamped over my wrist just as my fingers slipped over the edge. And then another hand.

I heard a masculine groan as me and the kid were lifted up a foot. The kid grabbed the edge and struggled out of my grip, and then he got up and scurried off as fast as he could, leaving my other hand free to help my rescuer rescue me.

I promised myself that whoever he was I would kiss him for saving my life. He pulled me up and we both fell onto the dock, me on top of him.

I heard him sigh and then I knew I'd made a big mistake by promising myself that.

It was Tidus.

"Get… off…" He panted.

I stood up, my face growing hot. "Uhm… thank you…" I said nervously.

Here he was saving me after I'd smacked the crap out of him with a pillow and been a total jerk!

He got up. "Yeah, sure." Then he went back toward the way he'd come, and I went into the forest.

Anyone walking through would've thought I was crazy, but I didn't care.

"Stupid!"

_THWACK!!_

"Rotten!"

_THUMP!!_

"Idiot!!"

_SMACK!!_

I laid three arrows into the tree several feet in front of me.

"How could I be so _STUPID!!?_"

_CRACK!!_

I growled at myself, loading another arrow.

_Bzzzzzzz…_

I paused halfway through pulling back the string.

_ZzzzzzzZZZZZ!!_

A loud humming sound came up behind me, along with a slight breeze. Instinctively, I ducked.

The biggest, mutant, freakish wasp I've EVER seen flew over my head and circled around to face me.

Bumble bee on steroids. BIG time.

I aimed and pulled back my bow, and then let go, just as it moved.

"Chip you, stupid thing!" I shouted, loading another arrow. It got closer. Just as I fired, it moved. Again.

It came up closer, like it was going to attack. I cringed, putting my arms over my head to protect my face.

But then it backed off.

It took me two seconds to figure out why.

"MUAHAHA!! GO BODY ODOR!!" I shouted, grabbing another arrow. This time, I anticipated its move and fired into the air.

It flew straight into the arrow and burst into pyreflies almost before it hit the ground.

I then decided to take a long wash in the river… after we were done with the fiends.

I headed along the trail, not sure if it was back the way I came or the opposite direction. I heard voices.

"Not a guardian then… I just want him close by." It was Yuna.

I was _missing_ my opportunity to become a guardian!! _Had_ missed it.

They began to walk forward, toward the temple. I snuck in behind them.

"Whew! What's that smell?" Tidus asked.

"Ochu fart." I said, pointing up ahead to the big green monster lying in the path.

"What!?" He cried.

I shrugged. "He's human intolerant. He gets gas whenever he eats a human." This was going to be fun…

"Ew…" He said, backing away a little bit. "How come it smells worse back here?"

"Because… we're downwind." That part _was_ true. We were downwind from that _thing_. Of course, now we would have to fight it or I would be found out. I made a mental note to 'accidentally' fall into the river on the way to the temple.

"Let's get it!" I yelled, grabbing my bow and loading up an arrow. My finger throbbed terribly, and I remembered that evil splinter I'd gotten. I could ignore it… or so I thought.

Five arrows later, my whole hand was hurting. But I wasn't about to let my friends beat that thing without me.

Yuna stayed back, casting healing spells on Tidus and Khimari, who were up close and getting hurt the most.

Then, one of Ochu's long, evil antenna things came down and slapped me straight across the face.

Yuna had just finished casting a haste spell on me, bless her heart.

I was _pissed._

I grabbed three arrows and stuck them all against the string. Then I fired, and repeated that again.

I decided that wasn't enough, and dropped my bow and quiver on the ground. Then I grabbed my claws, and for a good show, I did a cartwheel instead of taking six or seven steps.

I came up, jumped into the air, and drove my claws straight down, slicing through Ochu's face. Two swipes completed a three lined X with two three-lined stripes, right across Ochu's face. Then I made two lines horizontally and slowly stepped back to admire my artwork.

My claws were now covered with some sort of green slime.

But Ochu was dead.

"Wwwwwooooooooowwwww… ttthhhhhaaaaaaaaatttt… wwwwas awesome!" Tidus said, just as my haste spell wore off.

"Overdrive! Sweet!" I said, smirking.

"Overdrive?" He asked.

"Never mind." I replied. "I'm gonna wash these off…" I headed toward the river. "Meet you guys at the temple."

I walked through the trees, feeling proud that I had killed the creature myself. The others had helped, a lot, but I was still the one to finish it off. My finger throbbed again. I looked down and winced. That sliver had to be an inch long, and half of it was in my finger. I touched it, which was very painful. Then I slowly began to pull it out. But I couldn't do it. I decided to have Yuna cast some kind of cure spell when I caught up.

I reached the bank and jumped into the water. It was nice, and cool… the ground was slick… almost too slick.

I knew I was in trouble when it _moved_, and then _looked_ at me with beady, yellow eyes…

* * *

_A/n: Whew! Now that that's over with, I shall torture you with this cliffy!! Muahaha-(cough cough hack hack) ahem_…

REVIEW PLEASE!!

30th reviewer gets (drum roll please) A COOKIE!! XD

Post review below. 'V' Under the arrow.


	15. Chapter 15

**Chapter 15**

I screamed and leapt backward, horrified. I half-tripped over a log of some sort and landed flat on my ass.

The yellow eyed creature stood up on its hind legs and looked me right in the eye. It inhaled deeply and stared at me with an angry look. I forgot to breathe.

"Is there some reason you're staring at me like I'm going to eat you?" It asked in a heavy British accent.

I flinched. "You...you can talk?" I cried. Probably wasn't the wisest thing to yell at the large lizard creature with yellow eyes and very sharp teeth.

"Of course I can talk. Not like them damned monsters in the woods. What did you take me for, a common fiend?"

"N-no! I... you startled me, is all..." I stammered.

"HEY!" Wakka's voice yelled behind me.

I scrambled to my feet.

The lizard rolled its eyes and disappeared under the water. I stared at it wide-eyed for a few seconds.

"You okay? You look like you just saw a ghost. Was that you who screamed?"

"Yea... where'd it GO?" I cried.

"Where'd what go?" Tidus asked as he caught up to Wakka.

"You're brain.. It's like... non existent!" I replied.

"What!" He cried, completely off-guard.

"I mean, it was there a second ago, but it just...vanished! It's completely gone!" I switched my shocked gaze from the water to Tidus.

Wakka burst out laughing and I had to reeaallly concentrate not to do the same.

"Wha.. what..? I didn't...what the..."

"I mean, look at you! You can't even form a complete sentence anymore!" I was milking this for all I could possibly get.

"Hey! That's not... What'd I..! What the!"

"See! GONE!" I cried as I burst out laughing.

"Well.. well... well you..." He started. I could tell he was desperately thinking of some kind of comeback. "Well.. I was over there the whole time! I...I think it was YOUR brain you lost..." He tried. AND MAY I ADD HE FAILED MISERABLY.

"I'M NOT THE ONE STRUGGLING TO MAKE A COHERENT SENTENCE, DUMMY!" I retorted, still laughing hysterically with Wakka.

Tidus scowled.

I was laughing so hard I didn't notice Wakka had stopped laughing and was dead silent.

And I also didn't notice Khimari glowering at me from his eight-foot something height. I may be five-seven and pretty tall for a girl, but Khimari is like TALL FOR A GIANT SKY SCRAPER. He could make a WALL cower in fear. NOT EVEN JOKING.

Well after I opened my eyes just enough to see why the light had disappeared, I saw this blue tinted fur in front of me that scared the crap out of my laugh so bad that it kinda died right there in the middle. It was like "AHAHAHAHAHCK-hh...! O.O" and yes I DID add a scared face in the middle of the dialogue because THATS JUST HOW DAMN SCARY KHIMARI IS!

He just stood there, staring at me with those yellowish evil eyes, for like five eternities.

And when he finally DID walk away, my laugh shat its pants.

* * *

_A/n: IT LIIIVVEESSS! O.O HOLY CRAP! wow I am SOOO sorry it took THIS FRICKIN LONG FOR ME TO GET MY LAZY ASS TO THE COMPUTER AND TYPE...this short ass lame chapter... x.x okay, the next one will be longer, I swear. BTW this is Silvie of Southern, I changed my name to Cheri (pronounced like Cherry, like cherry coke) cuz thats what everyone calls me now. :P_

_ANYWAY. NEXT CHAPTER WILL BE UP SOMETIME THIS YEAR! XP REVIEWS PLEEEAAASSEEE  
_


	16. Chapter 16

**Chapter 16**

I followed the lot of em at a safe distance, poking at the sliver in my finger and trying to get it out somehow without causing mass pain and passing out. I heard the buzz of one of those hornet things sneaking up on me, and I grabbed the claw for my left hand.

I turned around as it got close and slashed through its stomach area. It burst into pyreflies and I returned to my sliver. It wasn't bleeding, but it was red, and it hurt like a mother (insert inappropriate language here). I winced and closed my eyes.

"Ok...just pull the damn thing out..." I said to myself, holding onto the end. I held my breath and pulled. The sliver came out of my finger and I yelled in pain.

It was halfway through my "OH MY GOD MOTHER (BLEEP)ING (BLEEP)ES AAAAAAAA-" that I realized it hadn't actually hurt. At all. In fact, it felt a lot better. I opened my eyes and grinned at my finger, then kept walking.

I stopped mid stride upon seeing the look on everyone's face. "...what?" I asked nonchalantly, shrugging.

Five shocked faces just gaped.

"Um... okay. Meet you there." I said, and kept walking.

Eventually they got over it and followed. Wakka caught up to me. "What was it you yelled back there? Mother what?"

"Oh,... er...its...slang...for...that hurt." I said cautiously.

"Something hurt you?"

I held up my bloody finger.

"Ouch! Why not have Yuna fix that up, ya?"

"Well we are in a hurry, right? Let's just go. It'll be fine." I said, brushing it off.

I walked calmly past the group and toward the bottom of a massive staircase. I beat the lot of em, except for the Aurochs. The three of em were waiting there with mischievous looks on their faces.

"A race, huh?" Tidus said, walking up behind me.

The the blitzball players laughed. I grinned. The others caught up.

Wakka laughed. They all lined up, especially me.

"Yuna, if you please?" I said, still grinning.

She walked up next to me and held up her hand. "Ready!..." Then she took off running. I already knew that was coming, and I was right behind her.

"Hey!" Tidus cried from way back where we left them.

"Hurry!" I laughed as the Aurochs gained on us. Two of them passed me. Suddenly I remembered what was coming. "Holy shi-.."

"SIN!" They yelled, running back down the way we'd come. I stopped short on the top stair- or at least I _thought_ it was the top stair. I realized it was the one _below_ the top stair when my foot hit the edge and I went toppling forward onto the ground. I yelled out a curse word and scrambled to my feet.

I turned to run, but one of those tentacle things grabbed my ankle and picked me up. I had to cringe and cover my head to keep from being hit on the way up. Then I started screaming.

When you are being held upside down by your foot, not only does it feel like your foot is going to flat out _fall off_, it _also_ causes all the blood to run to your head. So I'm hanging there, with my head about to explode, and my foot about to fall off, about ten feet off the ground and let me tell you: TEN FEET DOESN'T SOUND LIKE A LOT, BUT IT ACTUALLY IS! It's about one foot short of TWO of me stacked on top of each other! And on top of that MY FACE IS THE CLOSEST THING TO THE GROUND!

YEA.

I screamed.

Which isn't actually a good idea because when you scream like that, it intensifies the rush of blood to your head. So on top of being dangled by my foot ten feet off the ground I get this throbbing headache in about 2 seconds that makes it feel like I'm about to implode. Or pass out. But implode sounds cooler so I'm just gonna go with that. If you have a problem with that then talk to the author.

ANYWAY.

About halfway through my half-hearted "ohgodimgonnadie" scream the thing DROPPED ME.

My half-hearted-I'm-too-tired-to-scream-too-much-louder-scream turned into a full-lung-effort "holycrapnowireallyamgonnadie" scream.

It felt like ten hours, but logically, I'd have to narrow it down to about a second and a half. I tucked my head under my hands and managed to turn so I was falling face up. I might break my back but at least I would still have my pretty face! ...shut up. You're just jealous.

Ten seconds later, I landed on something soft, firm, and loud.

"OH MY GOD ARE YOU OKAY!" Tidus yelled. I grabbed on around his neck.

"THANKYOUTHANKYOUTHANKYOU!" I shouted, kissing his cheek several times before he dropped me with an "ugh!"

The difference between two feet and ten feet can be the difference between a broken back and a bruised behind! I'd take the two feet any day, even tho I was pissed that he had dropped me.

At least I was alive, and my face wasn't all messed up.

Not like YOURS...just kidding, hehe.

So now that I was pissed, I was ready to kill something. Preferably Tidus, but there were people around us, including Yuna, so...that was pretty much out of the question. So instead I looked over at the giant tentacle that had picked me up in the first place.

I took my deadly ninja stance and readied my handy claws.

* * *

_A/n: I apologize for this pitifully short chapter... Dx I wanted to get it up this weekend and I was busy and had all this crap to do and school is in the morning and AHHOLYSHITMYLIFEISHECTIC so... here it is! My last minute attempt at half a chapter! I'll make the next one double length to make up for it! ...just remind me or I'll procrastinate and forget. -.-_


	17. Chapter 17

**Chapter 17**

Okay, where was I? Oh yes. That damn tentacle thingy. So anyway, I picked up my claws and readied my ninja stance. You don't mess with the ninja stance. Well...most of the time. This time, however, I was knocked flat on my ass when Wakka missed his boomerang-like magical flying ball and it hit me in the side of the head. I got up, more pissed than I had been. "Screw the ninja stance. _NOW I'M PISSED OFF._" I yelled, rushing the tentacle head on. I cartwheeled and slashed my claws straight down, making several cuts.

Then I spun around backwards and made two clean cuts, right through it. "Ha!" I cried in triumph as the giant test-I mean.. tentacle.. tumbled to the ground. The other one came down and smacked me across the face.

I slashed it open and Kimahri stabbed it with his spear.

"TAKE THAT!" I shouted.

The giant clam behind me aparently didn't appreciate me cutting off its arms. So to make sure I knew this, a hundred percent, it threw up everywhere and got most of it on ME. That stuff smelled like Wakka's bathroom in the morning.

Yea.

NASTY.

I nearly puked as I was trying to wipe the icky green slime off of me.

"Ugh! Ew! Ugh! You bastard!" I screamed. I took out my bow and shot an arrow straight through the crack in the shell. The green goup was already soaked through my hair, matting it down with its putrid scent. "Ha! You can't cheat like that when it's not in the game!" I cried, shooting another arrow through the crack.

Tidus gave me a weird look. "What? Whaddaya mean, game?"

"Shut up and help me you idiot!" I covered. I don't think it would have gone over very well if I had told Tidus he was a fictional character from a video game in my step-mom's living room.

Then Khimari decided to be all macho-macho and chucked his spear the same place I was shooting my arrows. The sinspawn burst into pyreflies.

"Pfft. Copycat." I muttered.

"Lady Yuna! Are you alright?" cried one of the Aurochs.

They conversed about something I don't quite remember, and then started back up the stairs toward the temple.

"You guys go ahead, I'm gonna go back to the creek and wash off."

They didn't seem to notice, so I shrugged and headed down the stairs. "That's gonna be hell to climb back up.." I muttered to myself as I walked down the endless path of stairs.

I found the creek easily and cautiously stepped in. No monsters under my feet this time.

I held my breath and ducked my head under, letting the cool water wash the icky sin-puke out of my hair. It was freezing cold, but I tried to think of the firey temple that awaited me.

And the stairs...

The long...long...lloonngg...flight of stairs...

It was too cold. I shivvered and jumped out of the water. There were still remnants of the puke on my clothes, but I didn't care.

I started up the stairs.

Just one foot after the other.

One more.

One more.

Three thousand more.

One at a time.

Come on.

One more.

And one more.

Just one more.

Okay I lied, there's still about three thousand left.

Come on. You can do this.

One more.

And another.

And another.

And another.

*THREE YEARS LATER*

I reached the top of the stairs, tired and winded.

Apparently time passes differently in Spira than on the long staircase to hell, because the others had only reached the top four minutes before me.

And it only took about four minutes to get the Aurochs in a stare down with the Luca Goers.

I don't exactly remember what it was that was said or who punched first...

That's a lie. That ugly one said that the Aurochs were so pitiful that they had to have a little girl on their team, and then I punched him in the nose. Not proud of that...

Anyway. So, after that, cuz, you know, guys only need one reason to get into a huge fight, and there were like twenty guys there...yea, do the math.

I broke the lead Goers' nose and gave out three black eyes and broke two sets of teeth before Kimahri picked me up and dumped me on the ground six feet from the fight.

"Gah! Lemme go! I almost had him!" I cried.

"**EENNOOUUHHUUHHUUFF...**" Kimahri bellowed.

One more punch was thrown from a Goer at Tidus' face before complete silence settled. Everyone froze. Including Wakka, who was actually frozen in mid-punch.

Yuna was leaning over the guy with the broken nose, issuing a cure spell. I could have hit her. I hurt my hand breaking that nose...

The teams dispersed and stood in two separate groups, shaking themselves off while Yuna offered cure spells.

"Fight not solve things." Kimahri said. "Settle later. Settle at game."

I glared daggers at the leader of the Goers. If only looks could kill... But then again, if looks could kill, we would all be dead...

I got to my feet finally and brushed myself off, still glaring at the Goer captain. Lulu and Yuna led the way into the temple. The rest of us followed.

We followed Yuna up the stairs and to the circular elevator. Khimari took a swing at me and Tidus, but I saw it coming and ducked. Tidus stumbled off the elevator and his leg hooked right on mine. We both tripped.

Tidus landed smack on his ass, while I landed on his lap. He pushed me on the floor with a grunt.

"What was that for?" Tidus asked.

"You are not guardians yet." Lulu replied.

I rolled my eyes. "Yeah yeah. Leave me with _him._ Whatever." I picked myself off the ground as the elevator went down. It came back up after a few seconds.

I ran toward the stairs, remembering the Dona predicament that was coming. I was too late... there the bitch was herself, with her slave man right behind her.

"Well well, what have we here?" She asked.

"None of your business, that's what!" I snapped.

"Not allowed in the cloisters, are we?"

"Of course we are. We just volunteered to stay behind to keep rabble like yourself from causing trouble." I said.

Dona frowned.

_If I ever make it to the sequel, I am SCREWED._ I thought to myself.

"Barthello." Dona barked.

"Oh, no you don't!" I cried. I delivered the hardest kick I could muster with my tiny foot right into his crotch. He bellowed in anger. I scurried back up the stairs toward Tidus.

"What're you-"

"No time to explain just RUN!" I grabbed his arm and pulled him onto the elevator as Dona and Barthello opened the door and walked into the hallway.

"What! But we're not allowed down here!" Tidus cried.

"I'd rather be here, and alive, than to be out THERE...and be crushed by that beast!" I said loudly, trying to ensure that they could hear me.

Tidus sighed. "Now look what you've done."

"Well, he was gonna throw us down here anyway." I said.

"What?"

"Don't worry, I've done this level a thousand times. I know exactly how to do it." I said.

Tidus just stared at me.

"Better late than never. Let's go!"

* * *

_A/N: Heeyy ya'll! Didja miss me? ;D I hope so! But I am back now for a short time to give you this very short and long awaited chapter! :) Don't be too mad, okays? :o_


	18. Chapter 18

**Chapter 18**

I walked forward into the trial and error stage of the temple. At least that's what I call it, I can't seem to remember the actual name for the stupid trials. Maybe it's just "the trials" and I'm having memory problems today.

Anyway, so I flew through that stupid firey maze and replaced all the stupid spheres accordingly. It took about ten times less than it takes in the game, since the game Tidus is not a former track star and has problems coordinating two spheres at once. The Tidus I had with me was still not a track star, but he at least had use for his two hands which left me with all the running back and forth and the occasional "hold this!" or "gimme that!" I was done in less than five minutes, treasure chest and all!

The door opened to the entrance to the Chamber of the Fayth. Yes, that was a very odd and probably incorrect sentence. No, I am NOT going to fix it! This is MY story now, not Tidus' or Yuna's or anyone else's!

"Let me handle this." I whispered to Tidus as we snuck in.

Lulu looked up with a death glare. She opened her mouth to speak.

"Before you say anything, I would just like to point out that that Barthello dude is big and scary, and that Dona is a raging whore who is currently on her time of month."

Lulu closed her mouth and shook her head with an eye roll and an exasperated sigh. And let's not forget the temple rubbing with the equivalent sarcasm of an epic face-palm.

"Alright, I know it was like, ten seconds in the game...but how long before she's done in there?" I asked.

The guardians stared at me.

"I mean...how long are we going to wait?" I asked.

"No one knows. Could be minutes, could be hours, ya?" Wakka said.

I sighed and sat down, suddenly very impatient. I couldn't help missing my home...and my mother. I knew she was gone...but it still hurt. I still expected her to come walking around the corner and take me away from my foster mother.

But that was not going to happen. Ever. My mother disappeared after work one evening. There had been reports of people going missing in our area, and the recommendations for public activity were to travel in pairs with someone you know, or to not travel at all. My mother was proud and clever...perhaps too clever for her own good. She refused to trust anyone, and said that she would be safe as long as she was not out after dark. Then one day she called to tell me that the man on the next shift had called in sick, and she was covering for him. She did not even leave until almost eleven at night.

I still remember the emotions in her voice before she hung up the phone. She asked me if my room was clean...I lied to her. I told her it was. And then she hung up the phone, and I never saw her or heard her voice again.

I took a deep breath to clear my head of depressing thoughts.

Wakka came and sat next to me. "Hey, kid. You okay? You look a bit down, ya?"

I nodded. "I was just..." I hesitated. "I had some weird memories. I think...Sin's toxin is starting to wear off."

"Hey, that's good, ya?" He said, nudging me with his elbow.

I forced a grin and nodded. "Yeah."

"Cheer up, ya? It's not the same seeing you without that smile."

I chuckled. "Yeah, sure."

He stood up. "Yuna should be back soon, ya?"

I nodded.

"We'll go out and celebrate when she is, ya?"

"Sounds good."

He either gave up on trying to cheer me up, or somehow thought he had done a good job. Either way, he walked over and started talking to Lulu.

I put my head down in my arms and closed my eyes.

Tidus came over and thought it would be a real bright idea to kick me in the hip.

"OW!" I screamed.

"Hey, no sleeping on the job!" He scolded.

I death-glared him. I don't understand why they call it the "death" glare when it never actually kills anyone. It's extremely misleading and irritating in the long run!

I sighed. "Might as well have some company. Yuna's sure taking her sweet time." I grumbled.

Tidus shrugged. "Is she gonna get another one of those...aeon thingies?" He asked.

"Yep. A big ugly firey one. I always call it Fira, like the magic spell. But I think its real name was, like... Ifrit or something. It's real nasty looking, but it absorbs fire attacks. Just make him learn that NulFrost spell if you ever put him against ice enemies."

Lulu shot me an interested glance over her shoulder.

"Really?" Tidus asked.

"Yep. The next aeon is...Let's see. Oh yeah, Djose. So... the lightning one. Ixion. I called mine Thunder."

"You had an aeon?" Tidus cried excitedly. "Are you a summoner too?"

"No, silly. I was..." Oh, that's right. I was playing my video game back home, and you all didn't actually exist! No. Bad. "...well, I was one of the guardians. Sort of." I replied.

Lulu walked over. "How do you know so much about everything? You could not have been a guardian. You are too young."

I frowned. "Just cuz I'm young doesn't mean I can't be a guardian!"

"When was this mighty pilgrimage, then?" She asked.

"Recently... A couple weeks ago. It took me three whole weeks to get to the part where...I mean...for us to get to Gagazet."

Lulu raised her brows. "Gagazet?"

"Yes, ma'am. Right up and beyond, right into Zanarkand."

"But you failed?"

"Who said that?" I demanded, insulted.

"Sin is still here, and the last successful pilgrimage was of Lord Braska ten years ago. You would have been a toddler."

I hesitated. "Yeah, we failed. Well we didn't...really...we just quit."

"Who was your summoner?" Lulu asked.

"Yu-..." I suddenly realized that the whole truth would really not be a good idea in this situation. "Yu...uh...You!... mean... oh. Uh, her name was..." I quickly went through my Final Fantasy games in my head. "Ashelia! But...everyone called her Ashe."

"So, what happened to this...Ashe?" Lulu asked.

"She...learned the truth about Sin, and she didn't want to go through with it anymore. She quit to find another way." I said.

"What truth?" Lulu asked.

"You'll find out... when it's your turn." I said with a slight chuckle.

She stared at me for a moment with a curious look. I winked and turned away, desperately hoping that she wouldn't investigate on this matter.

Tidus came up beside me. "You were a guardian before?"

"Yes, sir."

"So...you kind of know how the journey's gonna be. The... trails and stuff?"

"Absolutely! I mean...Not like, the _future_ or anything...that's just..._ ridiculous_. But, uhh.. Yeah, I know a couple of shortcuts and such."

"That's amazing! So, you've seen Zanarkand?"

"Yeah!" I paused, realizing right then exactly where this conversation was about to lead.

"Well...what's it like?"

I looked down. Images of the opening scene, the destruction of Zanarkand, ran through my mind in game graphics. I closed my eyes for a minute, remembering the scene when he laid eyes on the destruction. "It's different..."

"How?"

I took a deep breath. "You'll see. Don't...don't expect it to look familiar. It's changed a lot in a thousand years."

He stared at me for a moment with a curious look in his eyes. My heart broke a little bit for the sadness that he would feel, seeing his home destroyed.

The door slid open to the prayer room, and Yuna stepped out weakly.

Something was wrong.

Sweat beaded her face. She looked up at us and forced a pained smile before collapsing to the floor.

_A/N: __It's been ages, huh... D: I know, WAY too long! I don't even know if half of you are still alive! But you better be! Because I'm updating for YOU, got it? That's right. YOU. READING THIS. RIGHT NOW. Okies? Happy New Year and all. Even though it's late. And yeah. Whatever. I hope you enjoyed this! I'll try to make the next update sooner, okies?_


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